Free Republic

Much of the grain planed for export is stored in Odessa, and cannot be shipped out thanks to Russian intereference, so Putin is not only willing to bomb whole cities into smitherines, but also starve millions of people in third world countries. A lot of that grain was for international service organizations helping the 3rd world countries.

One term I’ve seen a few times is Pooty Pal.

We have been shown wide angle aerial photos of vast areas of Mariupol which were totally devastated. Russian troops did not have to do that if there were just pockets of “Nazi” resistance in neighborhoods. I think the total devastation of the entire city speaks to Putin’s goal of the underground ressources in Ukraine. Development on the surface was not important and Ukraine lives even less so. At first he seemed to want to spare the useful steel plant, but gave up when he saw the determined resistance, so ruin to that too.

The herb Valerian can help reduce anxiety. I sometimes can’t sleep worrying about all I need to do, and Valerian helps with that. Sometimes I am just keyed up from an active day and melatonin helps with that. I seem to recall reading something about Vitamin B6 and vivid dreams. I don’t remember if it was too much or not enough.

If I remember correctly, Charles Manson and several of his gang were basically sugar addicts.

Is your 100K drug death figure all from illegal border crossed drugs, or does it also include the significant number of doctor prescribed legal drugs used inappropriately by their patients and family.

I forgot to include that the use of drone bombing and interception of internet and other invisible communication has been used and learned about as a potent new battle field component.

We do have a country, and it is preparing for what may be an inevitable future. China and Russia are dangerous potential hot enemies and are both interested in annexing adjacent territory that is doing better than they are.

I have read the 80+ comments here and have several thoughts. They are not based on formal military experience, but on decades of paying attention and thinking as my son spent around 30 years in elite US military units. For those who are history deficient, time to read about the Spanish Civil War. That nasty little war was primarily a contest of arms between Germany and Russia as they tested equipment and tactics which they would use in WW2. US and UK among others had volunteers who served there, Earnest Hemingway among them.

The same thing is happening in Ukraine, pitting the western democracies and semi-democracies against the totalitarian, communist tyranies. So far as weapons are concerned the utility of tanks in winter conditions has been found wanting. I suspect the N1A1 Abrams are being sent to restock our allies and European bases. Our ship convoys are no doubt accompanied by US state of the art subs. If there is a Russian sub attack, it quite likely will be a silent contest that will never be made public no matter who gets hurt. Fuel for future planning not public consumption. The $40 billion will be spending quite a lot in this country, making corporations richer, but also providing more jobs, and taxes for the Treasury. Money spent in Europe and Ukraine will win us friends and probably more purchases in the US in the future.

We do need to deal with our southern border, but this is not the post for that conversation. Three companies control most of the baby formula market. I wonder how much formula they are giving to hospitals to encourage mothers to give up on attempting to nurse. Twice as many middle class mothers nurse for a time than lower income predominantly African American mothers. If not there already, WIC should have a special provision for special nourishment of nursing mothers. [I have 3 years total nursing experience with 2 children.] Better fed babies make less criminal and crazy adults. Are oil companies cranking up moth-balled wells now that oil prices are high, or are they hoping to keep the gas price high and maybe having a more favorable political result in Novemeber? Some railroads have cut back on shipping resulting in more shipment by trucks which is why diesel is higher priced than gas, Big business is doing well, and customers are still buying. If Russia goes nuclear, it will probably be tactical not international city bombs. Let us hope and pray for the future.

Nice to know that Ukraine’s IT people are improving the art of war to save their country. I doubt Russia has comparable. Here is continuation of the article. It reads like some of it is a machine translation.

“One is Infopulse, which gives numerous digital providers to primarily European prospects.

It introduced 300 of its 2,300 workers to Lviv, the place it has places of work in one of many metropolis’s few buildings geared up with a bunker.

There are bunk beds and secure Internet underground so workers to proceed working within the occasion of an air raid. There are additionally mills in case Russian forces goal energy stations and terminals for Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet service.

“Even in the most drastic conditions, business can continue,” regional supervisor Ivan Korzhov mentioned. They may even thrive.

Tech military

Since the beginning of the warfare, Infopulse has gained 4 new prospects and in April – the second month of the Russian invasion – it created 25 new jobs in Ukraine. It will not be the one tech firm in Ukraine to take action.

Veselovskiy says February – when Russia attacked – was a traditionally good month for Ukraine’s tech sector and its estimated 200,000 workers. “It slowed down a bit in March, but we are very optimistic for the future because the war doesn’t stop us from growing,” he mentioned.

This is a stark distinction to different industries, battered by the invasion. Exports for conventional sectors resembling metal and agriculture have collapsed. But the tech sector, naturally, has not been affected by the destruction of bridges, roads or the blocking of ports. It has, in response to Veselovskiy, made greater than US$2bil (RM8.79bil) for the reason that begin of the warfare and has grow to be the nation’s main exporter. “It’s a good thing for Ukraine because we generate income in dollars every month when the country really needs it,” Korzhov mentioned.

“We pay our taxes and give a lot of money” to the federal government. The IT Cluster Kyiv has already allotted US$2mil (RM8.79mil), primarily to purchase tools for Ukrainian troopers. That’s how its places of work ended up wanting like a military depot. The sector has additionally provided its brightest to assist the navy. Softserve – certainly one of Ukraine’s greatest tech corporations – has labored on the navy’s web sites totally free and IT Cluster Kyiv modernised one of many navy’s command centres. Infopulse additionally participates in a joint mission by the Ukrainian military and the ministry of digital transformation.

“Specialists in tech and cybersecurity work with the government on the information front,” its regional supervisor Korzhov mentioned. He then repeated a well-liked slogan in Ukraine: “We are not waiting for peace, but for victory.” – AFP”

JFK was reacting to Russia putting nukes 90 miles from our shores. I don’t recall that there was any suggestion of putting nukes in Ukraine, especially since they had voluntarily given up the ones they had. UK and France have nukes. How many other NATO members have hem set up and aimed at Russia, 90 miles away at that? This was a blatant invasion attempting to take over all of Ukraine and its resource riches in the east. Since the total takeover failed, east Ukraine is Putin’s fall back position. His multi months deployment of large numbers of troops all around Ukraine’s eastern perimeter was a blatant provocation, and very hard to ignore without looking like wimps. I doubt there is anything that could have stopped Putin short of nuclear threats by the west.

Its not that I don’t know history, its that at 83 I’ve forgotten a lot of history. Fifty or 60 years ago when I learned about Rommel’s suicide I seem to recall it being said he was offered the choice of killing himself so Hitler didn’t have to do it and make him a martyr, or else his family would also suffer. I guess it falls in the category of disagreement. ;-)

I recall reading that during our Revolution and our Civil War there was something called Parole. This was granted to captured British soldiers. It may have been reserved for officers as Parole was granted to men of honor whose word was respected. They swore not to return to the fight.

I’m not sure the $300 billion is stolen, rather it is probably frozen. We did something similar with $billions of Iran’s money with the capture of our Embassy people as a result of the Iran revolution. Eventually it was released back to Iran after agreements were signed. Some FReepers accused the Democrats of paying Iran for the agreements. It was merely releasing money that we had held for decades. I wonder if they got the original amount, or if there was accrued interest paid? I wonder what Russia will have to agree to in order to get their money back.

It certainly was a provocation for Russia to be building up forces on the Ukraine border, although I remember at the time hearing it was supposed to be practicing military maneuvers. I guess the whole world did not imagine Putin would do something so rash as invade. And the US people in the know, both in the administration and on the various Congressional defense related committees, probably thought the same. I’m not sure that failure to imagine how evil, or ill, Putin was constitutes leading Ukraine down a primrose path to war.

And I thought Putin used a long table because of Covid.

The injured men are currently in Russian hands, hopefully receiving treatment. There is supposed to be a prisoner exchange, hopefully happening faster than former Russian involved prisoner exchanges like after WW2.

Hitler was trying to run WW2 from his bunker in 1945. we know how that worked out. He also ordered one of his best soldiers, Rommel, to kill himself. For failure or disagreement?? I wonder how many parallels we will see before this is over?

If in fact Russian officers have been killing their own wounded, then perhaps war crimes investigators can find which country’s bullets killed these soldiers if Russian officers use different ammunition.

For me it’s Royal Farms chicken thighs.

Nuts, you beat me to it. My thoughts exactly.

The question is whether any or all will be exchanged for Russian prisoners.