Kurds are now in active ground conflict with Syria. There have been a lot of instances where our planes have come close to conflict with syrian planes and their bombs have come close to our troops.

Quote :

"“We view instances that place coalition personnel at risk with the utmost seriousness, and we do have the inherent right of self-defense,”"

This is syrian airspace. We were never invited and are such a joke at this point.

GTFO Obama

8/20/2016 2:27:52 PM

a lot*





*once

8/20/2016 4:51:58 PM

lol Shrike got Earled.

8/20/2016 5:42:11 PM

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/us/politics/in-national-security-adviser-michael-flynn-experience-meets-a-prickly-past.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=1&referer=http://m.dailykos.com/stories/1607175

Quote :

"WASHINGTON — Days after Islamist militants stormed the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn reached a conclusion that stunned some of his subordinates at the Defense Intelligence Agency: Iran had a role in the attack, he told them. Now, he added, it was their job to prove it — and, by implication, to show that the White House was wrong about what had led to the attack."

Those of us that were worried about all the saber rattling toward Russia Obama/Dems/Hillary have been doing need to take a step back and start paying attention to the Trump admin - Iran relationship. Agitating about the Iran deal + Flynn + general Islam hate + global oil politics = Iraq 2.0 (except Iran's military is better and they have roughly twice the population).

12/4/2016 4:02:51 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/national-security/israel-hacked-kaspersky-then-tipped-the-nsa-that-its-tools-had-been-breached/2017/10/10/d48ce774-aa95-11e7-850e-2bdd1236be5d_story.html

We are so fucked.

10/10/2017 8:35:48 PM

could you post the article because I'm not a member.

10/10/2017 8:45:55 PM

^If you're using Firefox, try right clicking and "open link in new private window".

10/10/2017 8:50:47 PM

Biden admin saying Russia invading next week.

2/11/2022 5:39:33 PM

But France said they wouldn't?

2/11/2022 7:16:46 PM

^^^^ holy shite, I just re-read that article.

Remember that time that east coast pipeline got hacked and gas only got semi-scarce. God that was such a kick in the nuts. Let’s face it, conditions were approaching Mad Max in some locales.

I hope y’all are stockpiling the shit you need.

2/11/2022 7:21:59 PM

My wife works at an engineering firm that deals with municipal infrastructure in multiple states. A few years ago, she received an email from someone that she knew at another firm. I don't recall if the email included a link or an attached file, but someone was able to hack into her Outlook account from it.

She later found that someone had been emailing people she knew at other engineering firms and at various state agencies, then deleting the emails and even responding to people's replies, assuring them that the emails that were being sent were legitimate and safe.

2/14/2022 2:30:06 PM

Putin saying he's not happy with talks but there's room to build off of the last round of communications. Pulling some troops back to military bases.

2/15/2022 10:19:41 AM

What would be happening now if Biden didn’t win the presidency?

I almost would be inclined to Believe Putin would not have amassed troops but instead pushing trump to dismantle nato from the inside.

But If Putin did amass troops, trump would rely on Kushner and Pompeo and I think they would have completely botched this. Either by pushing for a war or just allowing Putin to take Ukraine and hope he goes no further.

2/16/2022 12:11:26 AM

^^^A contact at one of my company's customers got compromised in this way. I sent a reply suggesting it was illegitimate and notifying him that something was amiss and received a quick response that everything was fine and it was legitimate, but I could tell it wasn't him. Spoiler alert -- everything was not fine. There was also still an auto reply telling me he was out of the office at a trade show (which he was) and would be slow to reply. That didn't help the hacker's case for legitimacy when responding quickly and in nonstandard phrasing.

2/16/2022 7:47:42 AM

Quote :

" BREAKING: Syria willing to join Russia in recognizing Donetsk and Luhansk as independent, Russian lawmaker says - RIA"

Putin gave a speech today calling out nato and USA as preparing for a strike against Russia.

Seems like the battle lines are being drawn. Who will recognize Donetsk and Luhansk, and that Putin directly sees this as a war with America

2/21/2022 4:11:02 PM

Eh, I don't think he cares if anyone else recognizes them. Nobody important recognizes various other Russian satellites/occupied zones (Transnistria, etc.). But yeah, big gauntlet thrown down today and conflict all but guaranteed. I guess it's possible that all this buildup was just a cover for formally moving into (and eventually annexing) Donetsk/Luhansk but I think they've got bigger ambitions, albeit still short of the total conquest of Ukraine some expect.

2/21/2022 10:59:14 PM

What if over the next few years right wing areas of America become so pro-Russia, they invite Putin to setup a military base in Texas or Florida… would be hard to stop him if the local ppl supported him, without basically killing a bunch of Americans

[Edited on February 22, 2022 at 12:38 AM. Reason : ]

2/22/2022 12:38:20 AM

2/22/2022 1:07:22 AM

There's so many absurd notions in that scenario that I hardly know where to begin. Nobody is ever going to do that, Russia would be incapable of supporting such a deployment, and a U.S. state that attempted such a thing would by definition be in a state of rebellion and killing people would be the appropriate solution.

But seriously, everything from the basic premise on up is not just fiction, it would be really bad fiction.

2/22/2022 10:45:57 AM

I won't have this Red Dawn slander

2/22/2022 11:13:37 AM

^^
I think we’re <10 years away from that happening on our current track

Look at Tucker Carlson or Candice owens tweeting about Russia today. They would welcome their Russian overlords if it meant they didn’t have to ever think about non Christian,black, immigrant, gay/trans or poor people again.

We know Putin has been amplifying rightwing extremists and qanon propaganda very successfully. He was a big part of trump’s early campaign staff. Liberal (in the philosophical sense) values have been losing the information war at least among people >45 yo



[Edited on February 22, 2022 at 2:16 PM. Reason : ]

2/22/2022 2:13:49 PM

Grumpy what's your take on this (longish) thread

https://twitter.com/Copernicus2013/status/1495936129358520321?t=4t6cC5d_MnECqJfIJlfiGQ&s=19

Quote :

"My 2 cents on Putin’s decision today: This is a strategic defeat for Putin and a full-scale war is even less likely after today then before. Let me explain in this thread. The primary goal of Putin has been to subjugate Ukraine and especially its foreign and defense policy 1/"

2/22/2022 5:17:23 PM

That thread seems to hang a lot on Putin being able to claim victory in Belarus. Will it be worth the sanctions?

What prevents Putin from continuing to escalate if victory in Belarus doesn't distract domestic Russian politics from Ukraine and/or doesn't satisfy his hard-line inner circle? Threats only work if follow-through is credible. Not taking action could undercut him in the future.

2/22/2022 7:59:28 PM

There's parts of that thread I agree with but I don't know about some of the conclusions he reaches (and I'm particularly skeptical of any kind of armchair psychiatry about Putin and COVID).

Agree that:

-Putin's goal is to subjugate Ukraine's foreign/defense policy more so than it is to take Ukrainian territory
-Russia probably wasn't counting on the response it has gotten from NATO/EU
-Russia is very interested in further integrating Belarus as a client state

Disagree that:
-The influx of defensive weapons into Ukraine is a major concern to Russia. These include a lot of anti-tank weapons that won't be much use in the face of Russia's main advantage, which is long-range artillery and rockets to destroy most of Ukraine's materiel.
-This is a strategic defeat. We've been anticipating the recognition of Donetsk/Luhansk for a while now, it was a logical step.
-A war is less likely. The recognition was a clear step towards war, as it increases Russian opportunities to provoke Ukraine or stage false-flags to justify such an action.

2/23/2022 11:35:25 AM

^interesting, thanks

2/23/2022 12:12:22 PM

https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kb75e/the-internet-is-debunking-russian-war-propaganda-in-real-time

2/23/2022 1:15:52 PM

Blinken thinks it could happen tonight. Russia closed the airspace over the region. Donetsk/Luhansk leaders requested Russian help "repelling" Ukrainian aggression. Putin just gave speech announcing a military operation and telling Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and go home.

2/23/2022 10:19:14 PM

I could go the rest of my life without reading the phrase “sphere of influence”

2/23/2022 10:36:49 PM

It's started. Explosions in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine.

2/23/2022 10:48:43 PM

https://twitter.com/i/lists/1494327296383021062

List of reputable reporters that cover Ukraine/Russia

Kyiv being attacked, port cities being attacked

2/23/2022 11:38:01 PM

This is the strongest peace force I've ever seen!

2/23/2022 11:47:43 PM

So I guess the million dollar question is how far can Putin go before provoking a direct military response from someone other than the Ukrainians?

2/24/2022 12:00:38 AM

He should try to build a land bridge from kaliningrad to ukraine and find out

2/24/2022 12:03:06 AM

^^
NATO activating a defense plan today they’re saying

Kinda surprised they didn’t have a contingency plan ready to go on the event Kyiv was bombed but what do I know…

2/24/2022 10:08:45 AM

A decent oped that Ties together some threads on how we got here

https://eand.co/putins-game-12307a927117

2/24/2022 10:14:56 AM

https://www.vice.com/en/article/dyp5vz/ukraine-russia-invasion-photos

2/24/2022 10:21:39 AM

Quote :

"So I guess the million dollar question is how far can Putin go before provoking a direct military response from someone other than the Ukrainians?"

He can take Ukraine and he could incorporate Belarus more firmly into Russia without immediately provoking wider military conflict. Assuming his aspirations are grand enough to formally annex large parts of Ukraine west of the Dnieper, he could probably also incorporate Transnistria as well. I don't think he's got any strategic reason to want Moldova.

Beyond that, his only options are NATO countries or Finland, which is in the EU. Either one triggers a direct military response and I think Putin now realizes (perhaps with some surprise) that the response would be forceful and unified.

Anything elsewhere in the world (Georgia, the Stans, etc.) would have to be some distance in the future, since Russia's military is now concentrated on its Western flank. If Georgia wants NATO membership, that could trigger another showdown and I don't know that we'll let him get away with another one.

The concern now (aside from the plight of the Ukrainians) isn't that he'll expand his ambitions. The consensus I've seen is that Putin has learned from 21st century conflicts and is concerned about not overextending. Depending on how much he wants to do in or take from Ukraine, that could keep him occupied for years to come. Ukraine is not well equipped to withstand the current conventional conflict but it has the tools for a nasty insurgency if they so choose. No, the concern now is that somebody messes up - Russian troops accidentally cross into Poland, NATO accidentally shoots down a plane that hasn't entered their airspace, something like that - and things spiral out of control. Then of course there's also the grim risk of someone mistakenly identifying a nuclear launch and retaliating, but that's been a baseline concern for the six decades or so.

Biden, at least, has worked hard to avoid the other accidents. He removed our military advisors and diplomatic staff and is generally behaving in a way that clearly shows we don't want to be involved in this directly. I think that might have negative long-term ramifications but given our current lack of readiness it's probably the wise move.

2/24/2022 10:51:21 AM

This is some crazy footage, kind of like the Apocalypse Now Ride of the Valkyries' scene

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/world/europe/russian-helicopter-attack-video.html

2/24/2022 11:53:44 AM

https://www.vox.com/2022/2/24/22948944/putin-ukraine-nazi-russia-speech-declare-war

Crazy how earlier a certain poster was trotting out the same talking points as Putin is now...

2/24/2022 3:04:46 PM

There are nazi militias in donbas. This is not debatable. It's a shame that Ukraine and the west gave Putin this talking point by supporting them.

2/24/2022 3:49:12 PM

horosho, comrade.

[Edited on February 24, 2022 at 3:52 PM. Reason : .]

2/24/2022 3:52:15 PM

Do you think he supports Russia invading Ukraine?

Do you think 2022 Russia has left wing values that he supports?

Do you think propaganda can have embedded truth but still wrong false on its key points for the things it leaves out?

Do you think eastern Europe does NOT have nazis?

[Edited on February 24, 2022 at 7:11 PM. Reason : E]

2/24/2022 7:11:21 PM

1. Given how much Russian propaganda he posts, maybe?
2. I don't know what you mean/are asking...
3. You're trying to minimize the harms of propaganda, so that's a big NOPE for me dawg
4. I've already stated they do. Did you not even read the very article I posted? Do you not realize the Ukrainian president is Jewish?

2/24/2022 7:57:03 PM

I'm asking if you think a clear stated leftist/socialist would somehow have love for Putin regime.

I am absolutely not apologizing for propoganda. For example it's one thing to say there has been a rise in property crime shoplifting, it's another to use that as a "crime waves means we need more police!!" One is just a statement of fact the other is propoganda.

Quote :

"I've already stated they do. "

Ok, comrade, post russian propoganda much??

2/24/2022 8:23:04 PM

Acknowledging that Neo-Nazis exist in Ukraine (just like they do in the US and even in places like Argentina!) is not at all the same as posting links from shitty/astroturfing sources like he's done. Notice how I don't actually post many articles other than ones that tend to skew centerish, but hey, that's just because I like facts more than political spin.

FWIW I don't consider him to be an ally in the fight to keep our democracy. I consider him to be closer the ANTIFA/BURN IT TO THE GROUND CROWD, which isn't a whole lot better than the MAGA crowd, even if we share affinity for a few common sense policy positions. I don't favor any type of authoritarian regime, but some countries are honest about it (China), while others lie and pretend they favor Democracy (Putin supporters, the GOP, etc).

Why are you the only one ever defending him?



[Edited on February 24, 2022 at 8:32 PM. Reason : Are ya'll close friends or something?]

2/24/2022 8:27:36 PM

Centrist sources have a political spin, centrist is a political position

And yea we're best friends

Actually, no, I'm his alias

[Edited on February 24, 2022 at 9:32 PM. Reason : The real reason is I'm the only one that reads what you say, you're welcome ]

2/24/2022 9:25:18 PM

Seeing the video of Ukraine being bombed reminded me of the attack on Iraq in 2003 and why the whole world hated bush and Cheney and why we called them war criminals. We were the Russia of 2003, Iraq were the Ukrainians

https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/archival-video-us-forces-invade-iraq-2003-45840201

2/24/2022 10:10:29 PM

Belarus = coalition of the willing

2/24/2022 10:17:05 PM

Quote :

" Centrist sources have a political spin, centrist is a political position"

!!!

And you are correct about how I feel about Putin and the invasion. Don’t support it, do recognize that it was inevitable due to NATO interference and encroachment. PSL’s statement is a good socialist analysis

https://www.liberationnews.org/psl-statement-on-russias-military-intervention-in-ukraine/

2/25/2022 12:21:33 AM

Nato=abortion=death penalty

There is not enough of it

[Edited on February 25, 2022 at 12:34 AM. Reason : Penalty ]

2/25/2022 12:24:14 AM