If you really wanna go - alive or dead my friend

[revbob]

Re: Rep Salazar's comments:
Freedom isnt free

Freedumb seems to be though.

[Sparky]

Re: Rep Salazar's comments:
Freedom isnt free

Freedumb seems to be though.

Yeah, absolute proof that ignorance isn't necessarily bliss.

[Spiff]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/video ... nner-video

[Howard Beale]

•Before he even went into politics, Zelensky did bits in his comedy routines about how the country is basically run by Nazis (and US meddling). There was a US-based Ukrainian guy on Twitter who posted a video of Zelensky performing standup on a TV special; it's now mysteriously gone. I could only find an archive of the thread, but the video doesn't seem to work, sadly. If I manage to find it again I'll post it.

Found it.

[Dr. Medulla]

I have no real understanding of the nature of Russian politics, but this seems like it could be notable, making that kind of open demand that Putin resign. Does it embolden opposition within the Kremlin to depose him? Is it leading to a LBJ moment with his successor pursuing peace with honour?

[Flex]

twitter.com/EJ_Burrows/status/1569289458175954945

I have no real understanding of the nature of Russian politics, but this seems like it could be notable, making that kind of open demand that Putin resign. Does it embolden opposition within the Kremlin to depose him? Is it leading to a LBJ moment with his successor pursuing peace with honour?

Yeah, Russian internal machinations are probably pretty inscrutable. As some point out, though, in some ways strongmen authoritarians are even more worried about public perception than regular liberal leaders - enough weakness and you get the boot from knife-wielding elites. I'd be highly skeptical that we see that here, but I guess these regimes often seem pretty unshakeable right up until they get shook, so who knows.

By all accounts, part of Putin's strength has been wiping out the political power of Russia's oligarchs. Can't imagine that class wouldn't be willing to orchestrate a palace coup the moment they thought they could get away with it.

[Dr. Medulla]

twitter.com/EJ_Burrows/status/1569289458175954945

I have no real understanding of the nature of Russian politics, but this seems like it could be notable, making that kind of open demand that Putin resign. Does it embolden opposition within the Kremlin to depose him? Is it leading to a LBJ moment with his successor pursuing peace with honour?

Yeah, Russian internal machinations are probably pretty inscrutable. As some point out, though, in some ways strongmen authoritarians are even more worried about public perception than regular liberal leaders - enough weakness and you get the boot from knife-wielding elites. I'd be highly skeptical that we see that here, but I guess these regimes often seem pretty unshakeable right up until they get shook, so who knows.

By all accounts, part of Putin's strength has been wiping out the political power of Russia's oligarchs. Can't imagine that class wouldn't be willing to orchestrate a palace coup the moment they thought they could get away with it.

Agreed on all counts. Unlike the old Communist party, at least into the 70s, the core loyalty isn't to ideology but is more akin to organized crime. Those loyal do so only to the degree that the capo keeps their interests healthy; those hostile don't move until sufficient weakness is revealed.

[Low Down Low]

Hasn't there been a spate recently of oligarchy type figures or their associates somehow clumsily losing their footing on or near windows and tragically falling to their deaths? If there wasn't a war on, I'd imagine that gets a lot more western attention and must be a chance it's related in some way.

[Dr. Medulla]

Hasn't there been a spate recently of oligarchy type figures or their associates somehow clumsily losing their footing on or near windows and tragically falling to their deaths? If there wasn't a war on, I'd imagine that gets a lot more western attention and must be a chance it's related in some way.

It's cartoonish how many of Putin's critics have fatal accidents. It's as close to an open secret as you can get.

[Flex]

Hasn't there been a spate recently of oligarchy type figures or their associates somehow clumsily losing their footing on or near windows and tragically falling to their deaths? If there wasn't a war on, I'd imagine that gets a lot more western attention and must be a chance it's related in some way.

It's cartoonish how many of Putin's critics have fatal accidents. It's as close to an open secret as you can get.

Yeah, Putin killing his political rivals is soundtracked to yakety sax.

[Sparky]

Hasn't there been a spate recently of oligarchy type figures or their associates somehow clumsily losing their footing on or near windows and tragically falling to their deaths? If there wasn't a war on, I'd imagine that gets a lot more western attention and must be a chance it's related in some way.

Yeah, they seem to like to visit tall buildings and look at the windows at the wrong moment, talk about a coincidence.

[Low Down Low]

Hasn't there been a spate recently of oligarchy type figures or their associates somehow clumsily losing their footing on or near windows and tragically falling to their deaths? If there wasn't a war on, I'd imagine that gets a lot more western attention and must be a chance it's related in some way.

Yeah, they seem to like to visit tall buildings and look at the windows at the wrong moment, talk about a coincidence.

Possibly not! I still remember a passage in one book i read where Putin summoned all the oligarchs to his country dacha just after he became president the first time and laid down the law to them in the same room Stalin used to order executions. Not too many of those still thriving I'd bet, though Abramovich still keeps on keepin on it would seem!

[Flex]

If this true (with all the usual caveats of truth being the first casualty in war and so forth), this would seem to be a massive development:


If Russians are genuinely worried about Crimea, then the war is going worse for Russia than I think anyone (except Ukrainians, I guess) imagined at the outset of the war. Conventional wisdom was always that Ukraine didn't stand a chance of even credibly threatening to take back Crimea.

I'll avoid rampant speculation, that's easy enough to find anywhere and I have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about, but it's not hard to start connecting dots between the last few days of news coming out of Ukraine and Russia if you want to.

[Dr. Medulla]

If this true (with all the usual caveats of truth being the first casualty in war and so forth), this would seem to be a massive development:


If Russians are genuinely worried about Crimea, then the war is going worse for Russia than I think anyone (except Ukrainians, I guess) imagined at the outset of the war. Conventional wisdom was always that Ukraine didn't stand a chance of even credibly threatening to take back Crimea.

I'll avoid rampant speculation, that's easy enough to find anywhere and I have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about, but it's not hard to start connecting dots between the last few days of news coming out of Ukraine and Russia if you want to.

Whatever the validity of that story, this war has been a complete disaster for Russia because it has been exposed as far from a significant military power. The expectation was that this would be a quick romp. That illusion has been smashed—a Potemkin army. And they can’t even blame it on battlefield conditions, like the US in Vietnam.

[Dr. Medulla]

As always, sensible skepticism about those numbers (how elevated—10%? 25%?), but worth contrasting with US combat deaths in the Vietnam War—around 58K. That’s just astonishing how many Russian soldiers have been killed in such a short period of time. And I shudder to think of what Russian POWs are being subjected to.