Russia doesn't sound like a military superpower????

News Sources:
UATV English
BBC
Reuters
CNN
DW News

YouTube channels: everything listed above plus Operator Starsky, Denys Davydov, Vlad Vexler Chat, Insights from Ukraine and Russia, Times Radio, Moscow Streets, and 1420, to name a few.
 

I guess I expected this! Don't you folks who live in California have access to any news networks that are not purely liberal propaganda? And yes even the UATV and BBC are corrupted by liberal thinking...

I am not suggesting we do not read/ listen to these sources only that we also seek out other perspectives. Of course, that assumes in CA you actually have access to all the news...
 
Timewise 60+ said:
I guess I expected this! Don't you folks who live in California have access to any news networks that are not purely liberal propaganda? And yes even the UATV and BBC are corrupted by liberal thinking...

I am not suggesting we do not read/ listen to these sources only that we also seek out other perspectives. Of course, that assumes in CA you actually have access to all the news...
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You could easily say a couple sources on that list lean toward fascism, too. After all, one is a current member of the military, one is a real gung-ho former member of the military, and there's a Russian philosopher and historian on the list, too.

Look, I'm sorry you have trouble finding facts, truly, but you also won't let anyone help you find them (unless they can find the bits and bobs you like?). If you check out even one of those channels, even aside from the ones you labeled "corrupted by liberal thinking", you'll see what's really going on over there.

But you don't even have to check 'em out. Obviously, if Russia had the military power (and political appeal) to acquire Ukrainian territory (and Ukrainian hearts and minds), or to win this war, they'd have done it by now. This crap's been going on for over 8 years.
 

Murrmurr said:
You could easily say a couple sources on that list lean toward fascism, too. After all, one is a current member of the military, one is a real gung-ho former member of the military, and there's a Russian philosopher and historian on the list, too.

Look, I'm sorry you have trouble finding facts, truly, but you also won't let anyone help you find them (unless they can find the bits and bobs you like?). If you check out even one of those channels, even aside from the ones you labeled "corrupted by liberal thinking", you'll see what's really going on over there.

But you don't even have to check 'em out. Obviously, if Russia had the military power (and political appeal) to acquire Ukrainian territory (and Ukrainian hearts and minds), or to win this war, they'd have done it by now. This crap's been going on for over 8 years.
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Kind of like Korea and Viet Nam.....RIGHT? It happens....even to Russia
 
BTW, nuclear targets are not aimed at cities. They're aimed at a country's defensive/offensive sites of origin, or critical manufacturing factories.

And the U.S. could eliminate China, Russia, AND North Korea in one fell swoop with the nuclear missiles on our nuclear submarines, which are the real source of current naval power. We don't even need to use our land-based missile systems.

The problems in Russia and China are pretty much the same. Both Putin and Xi are living in an "echo chamber". They are dictators and when they get bad news, they immediately shoot the messenger. As a result, nobody around them wants to give them bad news, so all they hear is 'how smart you are!' and 'of course that will work!' from their "yes men".

Russian generals aren't stupid. But most of them have lost Putin's ear. He's doing what Hitler did, trying to run a war without any idea of military strategy or understanding what his resources actually are.

And his resources are thin. Very, very thin. They can build a giant submarine with a stupendously huge nuclear missile - but nobody can verify if the submarine OR the missile actually will work.

If their first wave of force doesn't work, they have little left to throw at the "enemy". It's always been suspected, but the Ukraine war has displayed Russia's weakness openly. China - same thing. Both can defend their homeland from army invasions, but who needs to put boots on the ground when you can just destroy their offensive and defensive capabilities, embargo their trade, and let them rot on their own?
 
Apparently recently mobilized Russian soldiers being sent to the front with in 10 days of being activated with little training and supplies. And dying/getting killed.

https://nypost.com/2022/10/17/mobilized-russians-going-to-war-with-no-training/

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-mobilization-chaos-deaths-ukraine/32072319.html

There were reports during the first Cold War that Russia trained troops by having them participate in more live fire training skipping much of no ammo or use of blanks training the US has. The US gives classes and basic drills with blanks, simulator grenades, artillery etc before live fire/real munitions. Problem is the survivors although passing training sessions may have done it by shear luck and wind up passing down poor or bad habits. That's not making a professional soldier
 
Nathan said:
I can't help but view that as like sticking your hand into a rattlesnake's nest, there is something causing NATO to hesitate in that regard.
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I've asked myself the same question as @JustDave since Ukrainian civilians have been killed en masse during this war. I don't understand why this is being allowed to continue! Apparently there IS something causing NATO to hesitate and it's going to cost more and more lives.
 
Lethe200 said:
BTW, nuclear targets are not aimed at cities. They're aimed at a country's defensive/offensive sites of origin, or critical manufacturing factories.



Russian generals aren't stupid. But most of them have lost Putin's ear. He's doing what Hitler did, trying to run a war without any idea of military strategy or understanding what his resources actually are.

And his resources are thin. Very, very thin. They can build a giant submarine with a stupendously huge nuclear missile - but nobody can verify if the submarine OR the missile actually will work.

If their first wave of force doesn't work, they have little left to throw at the "enemy". It's always been suspected, but the Ukraine war has displayed Russia's weakness openly. China - same thing. Both can defend their homeland from army invasions, but who needs to put boots on the ground when you can just destroy their offensive and defensive capabilities, embargo their trade, and let them rot on their own?
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You mean they're supposed to hit military targets, per agreement, which bears Putin's signature. But that agreement also says you're not supposed to just march into a sovereign self-governed country and poke your flag in it, and Putin keeps doing that, so I don't think his signature is good for much.

If he had nukes on either of the Russian ships the Ukrainians sunk, well, those can be scratched off the list. Based on how the war in Ukraine is going, there's probably a lot of big fellas at the Pentagon wondering how well Putin's nukes work. They do require regular testing, maintenance, and refitting for the times, and his are as old as some of ours. (Our own nuke overlords got chewed out royally this year for not keeping up with regular testing.)

I'm wagering the Russians are clearing their people out of the Kherson region as we speak because they plan to blow up the dam up-river, and flood that whole south region, infrastructure, Ukrainians, and all. This would be catastrophic, and totally in violation of all agreements, of course. Inhumane. Atrocious. Evil.
 
Russian has an economy the size of Italy or South Korea. IOW, it's a good economy by world standards, but it is not a super power economy by any measure. I guess what I am saying is that war is expensive and Russia does not have the means to continue for a long time.

I supposed they could tax the people more. Authoritarian countries can squeeze the population as much as they like. So, Russian can get far along the road of war, but at some point reality will hit. Ultimately, a medium sized sponge only holds so much water.
 
squatting dog said:
The other side of that coin, I'd suspect that if the US, UK, Europe and Japan officially joined the Ukraine, then China, N. Korea, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Myanmar, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, would almost have to join the Russian side seeing that they are allies.
In this scenario, there are no winners.
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I would not include Turkey or India in the above happy group. I doubt if either side's population would be happy to join it. I don't know about India, but the Turks are very western European except for religion.

Both India and Turkey are led by men who are very adept at playing once side against the other to get a better deal for their country. Turkey is selling drones and other stuff to Ukraine. It's trying to moderate the war discussions between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey would also have to pull out of NATO. India and China do not play well together. India and Pakistan do not play well together. China, Turkey and India have significant armies. The rest of the countries are pipsqueaks. I would not go to war with pipsqueaks as allies.

None of this is easy.
 
Brookswood said:
Russian has an economy the size of Italy or South Korea. IOW, it's a good economy by world standards, but it is not a super power economy by any measure. I guess what I am saying is that war is expensive and Russia does not have the means to continue for a long time.

I supposed they could tax the people more. Authoritarian countries can squeeze the population as much as they like. So, Russian can get far along the road of war, but at some point reality will hit. Ultimately, a medium sized sponge only holds so much water.
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Yeah, Russian military leaders are no doubt working hard at drumming up some support, like they managed to do with Iran, but support for Russia is extremely scarce these days.
 
Don M. said:
This coming Winter is going to be Very Harsh for the European nations and people. Without the fuels from Russia, just trying to stay warm is going to be a real challenge for millions. I'll be surprised if there aren't some major concessions given to Putin by Spring.
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What would the concessions be? Would you trust Putin to honor any agreement he makes?
 
fuzzybuddy said:
It's a little thing, but in calling up 200,000 more troops, they called up thousands of guys, who were way too old to fight. That's kind of a basic thing. All it takes is someone pushing the right buttons on a computer. yet, they couldn't do it.
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And thousands fled from Russia.
 
Don M. said:
This coming Winter is going to be Very Harsh for the European nations and people. Without the fuels from Russia, just trying to stay warm is going to be a real challenge for millions. I'll be surprised if there aren't some major concessions given to Putin by Spring.
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The EU and USA already have a plan in place to provide utilities to Ukraine if/when needed. But the Ukrainians are no strangers to the cold. They know how to deal with it, and a vast majority of them are saying they'd rather freeze to death than give Putin anything. Remember, too, that a great number of Ukrainian moms, kids, and old folks fled to safety months ago.
 
Brookswood said:
Russian has an economy the size of Italy or South Korea. IOW, it's a good economy by world standards, but it is not a super power economy by any measure. I guess what I am saying is that war is expensive and Russia does not have the means to continue for a long time.

I supposed they could tax the people more. Authoritarian countries can squeeze the population as much as they like. So, Russian can get far along the road of war, but at some point reality will hit. Ultimately, a medium sized sponge only holds so much water.
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Their major source of income is oil revenues, not taxes.
 
Murrmurr said:
You mean they're supposed to hit military targets, per agreement, which bears Putin's signature. But that agreement also says you're not supposed to just march into a sovereign self-governed country and poke your flag in it, and Putin keeps doing that, so I don't think his signature is good for much.

.....I'm wagering the Russians are clearing their people out of the Kherson region as we speak because they plan to blow up the dam up-river, and flood that whole south region, infrastructure, Ukrainians, and all. This would be catastrophic, and totally in violation of all agreements, of course. Inhumane. Atrocious. Evil.
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There is very little point in Russia trying to nuke US cities. As you point out, the efficiency of their nuclear arsenal is in great doubt. Our own anti-ballistic missile defense system can probably intercept almost all enemy missiles.

Might some get through? Maybe, in fact almost certainly. But killing US civilian population on a small scale - and even two or three nukes would be a small scale in geographic terms - wouldn't be enough to stop the US military arsenal from completely leveling Russia in its entirety - within minutes.

Sadly, I agree 100% on Putin's intent in Kherson. Like all dictators, he's a bully and psychopath.
 
Lethe200 said:
There is very little point in Russia trying to nuke US cities. As you point out, the efficiency of their nuclear arsenal is in great doubt. Our own anti-ballistic missile defense system can probably intercept almost all enemy missiles.

Might some get through? Maybe, in fact almost certainly. But killing US civilian population on a small scale - and even two or three nukes would be a small scale in geographic terms - wouldn't be enough to stop the US military arsenal from completely leveling Russia in its entirety - within minutes.

Sadly, I agree 100% on Putin's intent in Kherson. Like all dictators, he's a bully and psychopath.
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Depending on the type of nuke, that's true.

Here's a bit of irony; you probably know that Russia got a crap-ton of criticism from most of the world because they bombed a building in Ukraine that had the word "Children" painted on it in huge Cyrillic letters....well, the buses Russia is using to pick up and transport their mobilized guys is yellow and has the word "Children" painted on it in huge Cyrillic letters.

I'm beginning to believe Russia has a lower IQ overall than the rest of the world. Or maybe they're just sort of child-like...to put it politely.
 

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