The War in Ukraine

They will play this as "this is why we need crypto as banks will cut you off for no reason at any time" but the fact of the matter is they'll cut you off for being a twat and that's good and a positive side of the global economy.
 
What's the consensus on UNICEF?

Apple are pushing them. Just not sure if they'd be scraping off 20% somewhere.
 
one of the journalists, who i think offers one of the best frames on this war is aaron mate (incidentally he is the son of trauma whisperer gabor!), has a great article out.

mate.substack.com

By using Ukraine to fight Russia, the US provoked Putin's war

After backing a far-right coup in 2014, the US has fueled a proxy war in eastern Ukraine that has left 14,000 dead. Russia's invasion is an illegal and catastrophic response.
mate.substack.com mate.substack.com

@Kratz, @VoR and anyone who questions the culpability of both sides (russia and the usa) argument in this conflict, take a look if you will.
 
Aaron Maté is one of the editors for The Grayzone, which very explicitly commits itself to defending things like e.g. Lukashenka in Belarus, Maduro in Venezuela, etc, and transparently actively starts from the point "yeah but the USA has got to be the worst actor in all of this right". I wouldn't take a single thing they write in good faith.
 
Again - Putin literally thinks Ukraine shouldn't exist. Scholz more or less vetoed Ukraine's NATO admission as long as he's in during the negotiations prior to this, and Putin *still* thought he urgently needed to invade. Any analysis which takes Putin's NATO claims in good faith when this is entirely in keeping with Putin's openly stated aims to absorb Ukraine into a broader Russkiy Mir is really just useful idiocy for him at this point.
 
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Penelope said:
Aaron Maté is one of the editors for The Grayzone, which very explicitly commits itself to defending things like e.g. Lukashenka in Belarus, Maduro in Venezuela, etc, and transparently actively starts from the point "yeah but the USA has got to be the worst actor in all of this right". I wouldn't take a single thing they write in good faith.
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i didn’t just come across aaron. read what he has to say in bad faith if you think he’s a bad actor. and when/if you do raise substantive disagreements. i try to read opinions by people i don’t like too.

can’t believe i have to say this (again), but i am not defending putin or his actions in any way. but to brush aside the usa and nato’s role (or even ukranian leadership’s) in the escalation of this war is to me incomprehensible. both sides have been nefariously stoking the flames to further their imperialist agenda without any care for how many people’s lives will be sacrficed and/or upended.

i fully consider the probability i might be a “useful idiot” in any scenario but i wish everyone else would too (that’s the word that’s been focus-grouped, right?).

and no, i wouldn't stop loving you over a political disagreement.
 
I really don't think Biden's government has been actively stoking this at all - this is pretty much the last thing they wanted, as they'd much rather be focusing on China! (although the ironic thing is that it's probably going to inadvertently help them a lot in that regard, given how much it's unified most of the world and got them on the same page and how badly it's going for Russia, which US intelligence doesn't seem like it foresaw happening at all.)
 
And anyway, I of course too make a point of reading things I disagree with, which is I had an answer right away for why Aaron was CHATTING CRAP :tongueout:
 
Another heavy few days. This time on the Russian side. My company closed its Russian operation at the end of last week. People I had worked with for years (good people) lost their careers in a flash. But it was the right thing to do. However, talking to one of them on Friday night, as she choked back tears and talked about her "plan" and that she hoped we would meet soon made me think about the collateral damage of this war. Yesterday, I texted a guy I know, and he said he has already been in Istanbul for two days, and is looking at where to go longer-term. Another girl who moved back to Russia from Paris to take a very good job in a Western company has stopped replying on Instagram and Telegram. I wonder if she is also on her escape route.
 
Penelope said:
I really don't think Biden's government has been actively stoking this at all - this is pretty much the last thing they wanted, as they'd much rather be focusing on China! (although the ironic thing is that it's probably going to inadvertently help them a lot in that regard, given how much it's unified most of the world and got them on the same page and how badly it's going for Russia, which US intelligence doesn't seem like it foresaw happening at all.)
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what are you on about pen the usa has been sending ukraine money and weapons and training their military! as if they care about the ukranian people beyond their geopolitical goals.

they're the single biggest meddler in other countries' internal affairs and anyone who has a problem with imperialism and war and coups and nations' right to "self-determination" but doesn't have a problem with the usa is misguided.

it's the cold war again but it's not so cold anymore.
 
Genuinely curious because my war strategy knowledge is nothing compared to some moopers, but don’t we need to be careful with the term imperialism in 2022? Yes there are many western countries with imperialist history and are culpable for the damage it has caused, but there’s surely (and do correct me) a grey area between arming countries because you don’t like their enemies and arming countries because they cannot defend themselves?

Should we not protect Taiwan from China, or South Korea from North Korea, or African countries from military coups, Accepting the fact that the West put us in these situations in the first place, yes, but that’s not the reason to not now protect states or countries that are under the attack of aggressors?

The West is entirely culpable but I personally don’t understand the suggestion that if the West caused it, they should leave the bad results of imperialism to sort itself out. At this point there is no perfect correction. Whatever the past, Putin has illegally invaded another country. I’m not sure America can just say “well we helped cause this many years ago, so we’d best just let Russia carry on, so we can learn from our mistakes”

I think everything we talk about on here barely scratches the surface of the complexity of these situations but I do wonder whether anyone actually has the right answer.
 
funky said:
Whatever the past, Putin has illegally invaded another country.
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However the west has ignored way too many illegal invasions in the past. So I think that what the pleasure principal is saying is that the west is taking a stand with the country that is taking the hit this time, not just in terms of legality and principle but because it suits its own plans too.
 
There’s idealism and there’s realpolitik. Basically everyone’s an asshole but life under certain assholes is more preferable than under others.

That didn’t sound right, but you know what I mean.
 
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RaspberrySwirl said:
There’s idealism and there’s realpolitik. Basically everyone’s an asshole but living under certain assholes is more preferable than under others.

That didn’t sound right, but you know what I mean.
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I agree with this.

I won't get drawn into the whole 'The West caused this anyway' narrative.
There are innocent human lives being lost as we speak as a direct result of this invasion. From a humanitarian perspective that is all that matters to me.
 
Of course there's a bigger geopolitical argument involving US power, BUT that argument alone ignores the Ukrainian desire for self determination. You can't take the US out the story, but they're hardly the main focus RIGHT NOW.
 
Anthony Blinken just mooted the idea of banning Russian oil. Yes, agreed, but that's gonna hit Europe hard. I guess that's war.
 
Ag said:
Anthony Blinkin just mooted the idea of banning Russian oil. Yes, agreed, but that's gonna hit Europe hard. I guess that's war.
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I was reading that the… OPEC, I wanna say? The countries in some oil union have an emergency reserve of oil in case shit goes down, and so their member countries have released a small bit of their reserves today. I guess that more for settling the market down than anything
 
The Internet tells me Russia supplies about 8% of the world's oil. I think I've read most of that goes to Germany and mainland Europe. It's gonna be tricky.
 
Speculation that Putin is dying. Hopefully quickly but painfully. However presumably he’d be looking for a successor to carry on his ‘work’ if it were true. Who’s in the frame?
 
Why the fuck are these supposedly innocent and naive Russian soldiers targeting and killing innocent evacuees? Have they just abandoned all protocol now? If so, how can anyone in the Russian Government say anything about their cause for war with a straight face?
 
If your news anchors start to describe a video about a mom who learns that her baby didn't make it from the attacks, better change the channel, I wish I hadn't seen this.
Beyond words harsh.
 
I've been reading about people thinking he's dying. Apparently of bowel cancer. They think his face is puffy from chemo and he looks in pain.

I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, but....
 
There's a documentary on Ch4 about Zelensky. He's so beautiful.
 
Yeah it’s nothing concrete but the speculation also focuses on his much-mocked giant conference table. Could be that his immune system is fucked from the chemo.
 
It’d be wonderful to see Putin pop his clogs (although having him sent down for life at The Hague would be even better). God knows what it’d mean for Russia though.
 
Ag said:
:o

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Looking very good for her age. Must be all the mutton they eat or whatever it is they eat in Ukraine :disco:

@Penelope I've talked to the tarot and a recreation of this lovely lady's hairdo will apparently serve you well amongst the televoters when you enter MALTASONG with 'Taut and Tiny' IN LATIN OBVIOUSLY :disco:

I'm going to ask TVM to revive the exciting intro and heart-rending MALTAMELODY just for you



SORRY FOR GOING OFF-TOPIC BUT THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
 
Soldi said:
It’d be wonderful to see Putin pop his clogs (although having him sent down for life at The Hague would be even better). God knows what it’d mean for Russia though.
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We had all the Trump fantasy death/ prison stuff for his whole term. AND HE'S STILL FREE, ALIVE AND MARRIED TO THAT PROSTITUTE.
 
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