This is for topical issues effecting our fair world... you can quit snickering anytime. Note: It is the desire of the leadership of SFDebris Conglomerate that all posters maintain a civil and polite bearing in this forum, regardless of how you feel about any particular issue. Violators will be turned over to Captain Janeway for experimentation.
McAvoy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:52 am
Here tell you what. From now on I don't want to hear a peep just for once, about Europeans sticking their noses in American politics. I don't want to hear their opinions Bout anything involving what the US does. I don't want to read about criticisms about the US. Can you do that just once? Especially when you don't know what you are talking about?
Can you do that?
Can you Europeans do that?
Doubtful. So I will say whatever the fuck I want. How about that?
Oh trust me I have no desire whatsover to talk about the shitshow that is USA and it's current politics Even though I'm way more informed about it then you are about Europe.
And thanks again for once again showing the wonderfull US hypocrisy the rest of the world loves your country for. A few pages back before my original post - you yourself state that you're not very well informed about Europe but when called on it - react with typical US arrogance and hypocrisy. It's not even infuriating at this point. We're used to it
Anyway - Russians seem to be having interesting times with their mobilization. Recruits soon learn that they need their own sleeping bags, medkits, underwear, warm clothes and pretty much everything short of an old rusted AKs...
Also - about that week of training - here are freshly drafted troops in Sevastopol Crimea. I guess in Putin's Russia "2 weeks of training" means "2 days of travel by bus and maybe somebody will show you which end of an AK to point towards the enemy"
And Tom Cooper is keeping up his intensive reporting on day-to-day happenings in Ukraine. Do check his other posts if you want a very thorough and detailed analysis of the conflict:
McAvoy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:52 am
Here tell you what. From now on I don't want to hear a peep just for once, about Europeans sticking their noses in American politics. I don't want to hear their opinions Bout anything involving what the US does. I don't want to read about criticisms about the US. Can you do that just once? Especially when you don't know what you are talking about?
Can you do that?
Can you Europeans do that?
Doubtful. So I will say whatever the fuck I want. How about that?
Oh trust me I have no desire whatsover to talk about the shitshow that is USA and it's current politics Even though I'm way more informed about it then you are about Europe.
And thanks again for once again showing the wonderfull US hypocrisy the rest of the world loves your country for. A few pages back before my original post - you yourself state that you're not very well informed about Europe but when called on it - react with typical US arrogance and hypocrisy. It's not even infuriating at this point. We're used to it
Spare me with your bullshit. I know what I said. I said what I said because I will say what I will say without your bullshit to tell me what I cannot say because it hurts your feelings.
I don't give a rats ass if you think you know more about what's going in my country than I do about Europe. You can drop your tape measure, I have no interest in whatever dick measuring contest you think you are in.
I don't give a rats ass about what you think about the so called shitshow in my country.
But hypocrisy goes both ways too remember that. You don't get call what my country is going through a shitshow and not tell me what I can or cannot say about Europe. Oh btw, Americans feel the same way about the arrogance coming from Europeans about bringing in their opinions about the US.
Nordstream pipelines 1 and 2 (the main arteries of Russian gas to Europe) were deliberately sabotaged with such sophistication that it was probably a state actor. Worse, according to German scientists, they could become forever unusable if not repaired immediately due to corrosion.
Its easy to pin this on Russia, they have earned their ''boy who cried wolf'' reputation. But I am going to throw in there that it could be Ukraine. They have a lot to gain by removing this stream of money being pumped to their enemy. I'm also not sure what Russia would gain by this that merely ''turning it off'' wouldn't.
clearspira wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 1:24 pm
I'm also not sure what Russia would gain by this that merely ''turning it off'' wouldn't.
They get to smear the reputation of Ukraine, while if they achieve Putin's aims of annexing Ukraine there's a perfectly functional pipeline they can use?
"I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking 'Oh my god, that’s treating other people with respect gone mad!'" When I am writing in this font, I am writing in my moderator voice.
Spam-desu
Nordstream pipelines 1 and 2 (the main arteries of Russian gas to Europe) were deliberately sabotaged with such sophistication that it was probably a state actor. Worse, according to German scientists, they could become forever unusable if not repaired immediately due to corrosion.
Its easy to pin this on Russia, they have earned their ''boy who cried wolf'' reputation. But I am going to throw in there that it could be Ukraine. They have a lot to gain by removing this stream of money being pumped to their enemy. I'm also not sure what Russia would gain by this that merely ''turning it off'' wouldn't.
North Stream 2 was never in use. North Stream 1 hasn't been in use since a couple of months. The only difference now is, that the Russians can't just open the valves again. Every non-russian actor who could have an interest in the sabotage, would seriously torpedo NATO and EU and the German support of Ukraine, if it ever was revealed. There's only one actor who would have that as an interest, doesn't loose anything through the sabotage and can thus send a message of: Your infrastructure is now one of our targets.
"If you get shot up by an A6M Reisen and your plane splits into pieces - does that mean it's divided by Zero?
- xoxSAUERKRAUTxox
Most likely culprit is Putin as an anti coup measure. If the war is lost Putin is done, it Nordstream 1 could be turned back on it could give Putin's replacement an easy out that could avoid harsh consequences and consolidate power, this removes that possibility and makes it likely that anyone that coups Putin will probably get overthrown shortly thereafter.
In a distant second I'd put the CIA doing it as deny Russia an out.
Tied for an even more distant third I'd have Ukraine doing it for the above reason and eco terrorists taking an opportunity to try and force more green energy in western europe.
I'd probably break it down as 85% chance that it was Russia, 10% chance that it was the US, and a 5% chance of it being anyone else.
Can't see how it benefits Russia really, there are grumblings about the lack of gas in some quarters already, so the carrot of being able to turn the taps back on benefits Russia. THey can always cut it off whenever they feel like anyway.
But it wouldn't be the first bloody stupid decision Putin's made.
Riedquat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 9:36 pm
Can't see how it benefits Russia really, there are grumblings about the lack of gas in some quarters already, so the carrot of being able to turn the taps back on benefits Russia. THey can always cut it off whenever they feel like anyway.
But it wouldn't be the first bloody stupid decision Putin's made.
Benefiting Russia and benefiting Putin are two very different things. Putin has no way forward where he withdraws from Ukraine with no territory to show for it and keeps power. Making surrender less painful makes it easier for him to be coup'd. Assuming this was done on his orders the goal would be to make it so that whoever tries to depose him first loses too as they would have to accept harsh penalties in the aftermath, which turning the gas back on could mitigate.
Even though I'm way more informed about it then you are about Europe. 
