pluto77189

I think too many people must be ignorant of history for this to happen. It's essentially the loyalty of the armies to Caesar that resulted in...all that Roman Empire stuff. I can't believe anyone in Russia would be surprised that the private mercenary army of convicted criminals who owe their allegiance to the not-so-nice man who freed them from prison would be some sort of liability in the long run.

The fact that Prigozhin stated what he did about the pretexts for the war makes me wonder if this is true. Throughout all this, what little scraps I have gathered, the Wagner group seems to be an unlikely friend to Ukraine - but by declaring the war sham, he is putting himself in a position to justify the Ukrainian resistance. Would be interesting if it turns out he made a deal with Zelensky - It's like making a deal with a demon against the Devil.

Everyone thinks this is a form of an IED, but in reality, this may be an example of typical Russian ordinance-handling.

Co worker of mine returned after his third medical mission trip to Ukraine - he was born in Ukraine. Still has family there and in Russia. The worst part of his trip was describing how his family in Russia denies everything that has been happening to their family in Ukraine. They believe all the Russian media tells them, but deny all the stories they hear from their family in Ukraine. I wonder if they simply have no choice but to "believe" it.

IF. If it was nerve gas. I don't know enough to be able to tell. I hope it's not - and if the Russians say it is nerve gas, then it probably isn't.

That video is pretty disturbing. Is it really worse than the ones of someone getting blown up? this war has me wondering what I would do if we were invaded. I would try to employ any means necessary - rig together a battery of IR laser diodes together and blind the heck out of someone without them even knowing. Life and death, for you and your whole way of life -- how can someone be expected to follow the "rules"? Formal military, yes, we expect it and demand it and enforce the rules - but I expect any invading force must expect the defenders -- no matter how justified you believe the invasion is -- will be employing any nasty tactic, to hell with the conventions. That said, nerve agent looks bad, really bad. If true, it'll certainly give Putin more crap to use to justify his special anti-nazi-operation. "Look, they even use gas against our sons - just like they used it in the concentration camps - now we must destroy them all"!

Probably had connections wo organized crime - was he a gang-banger?

That's pretty terrifying. Though you CAN hear an incoming round about to hit you, it seems the amount of time you have isn't near enough to allow for any taking of cover. Maybe just enough time so that you were aware that it was an artillery strike that killed you, but not much else.

I think this would be far more nasty/effective if it were to utilize SDB2(Stormbreaker). Though I do not know if it's technically possible, given the capabilities/requirements of the SDB2. It can be programmed to locate individual targets, including moving vehicles, in a target area. In effect, launch a bunch of these in the general direction of an enemy group, and they would individually seek out and destroy individual targets. Much like the Brimstone 2 has been described, only with potentially much greater range and a 100-pound warhead.

This is exactly what has to happen - but despite history being documented via film and on paper, nobody effing learns. WE see this petty-vengeance constantly in US politics: Vote for the politicians who promise you freedom to do what YOU want, but also to stop "THEM" from doing that thing you DO NOT WANT THEM TO DO. Then the cycle of constantly trying to get back at the liberals/conservatives continues. Low taxes beget tax increases the next term. Gun bans beget abortion bans in the next term... Treaties of Versailles beget the nazis... and imperial Japan. We don't want Russia to win, but we can't afford to see Russia lose too badly. Imagine what sort of "strong leader" we would see rise from the ashes of a defeated and humiliated Russia following this?

It is quite amazing that humans will still find reasons to alienate and kill one another when we have such commonality in our sense of humor. Really, this is comedic gold, everywhere on Earth - why the hell can't we agree on everything else?

I believe part of -- PART OF -- the reason for this lies in the uncomfortable levels of adoration some people have for Trump. Trump was accused of being against aiding Ukraine, or at least against those who were involved with Ukraine. He was frequently going on about how corrupt they are, etc. So, the general sense I get from many who are uncomfortably enamored with Trump is that anything that has been negative towards Trump is then a bad thing in general. So, if Trump was perceived in any way as being "tough" when dealing with the Ukrainians, then the Ukrainians are therefore corrupt/bad, and the support of them is, also, corrupt and bad... and oh, yeah, Biden/Obama sent them money/weapons so of course we have to knee-jerk be against that... It's the only thing that makes sense. The only thing I can see that would overrule the basic: Russia + Invade=bad equation would be an idolatry-level political infatuation of sorts. The kind that gets a few people to justify crazy stuff - storming the Capitol, painting pictures like this with a straight face - or buying pictures like this...

A MILITARY-GRADE Tractor, purpose-built to move tanks? Get these bad boys to the Ukrainian farmers - they'll be clearing house in no time.

Exactly this - The most evil done to us, by us, was not done by schizophrenics, who are the most severely mentally ill. The most evil works were not done by people acting like animals, devoid of morality and driven by primal urges. The worst stuff done has always been carried out by intelligent, thoughtful people, who often had good intentions and significant support. The worst humans were not acting like animals; they were acting just like ordinary humans -- rationally. And that is an easy fact to deny. It's easy to make the Nazis out to be monsters. Hell, even Putin has some people feeling war is justified because the Ukrainians are baby-eating Nazis! The Nazis were just people. Just like all of us. No different. and that is such a terrifying concept.

From what I recall, hitler was getting multiple amphetamine shots daily. Increased use of stimulants will lead to increasingly impulsive, irrational behavior if it is high enough. More irritability, aggressiveness, etc. So, he wasn't "crazy" in a psychiatric sense, but he was certainly crazy in a rational sense - he was doing evil crazy stuff. If the amphetamine rumors were true, he may very well have been diagnosable as mentally ill at the end. People want Putin to be "crazy", as in suffering from a neurological problem, stroke, steroids, stimulant abuse, etc. IF not, then that brings about the idea that a "normal" human, outside of historical boogeymen (Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Saddam, etc), could be capable of doing such a thing, causing such destruction and sadness. Maybe he is. Hard to tell - any of the things people identify as evidence he's "on something" could be the result of severe stress -- something a "normal" human would certainly be dealing with when put in his position, facing the consequences of such actions. He's probably sane - which is the scariest option. Most people feel more comfortable living with the idea that normal, healthy people aren't capable of causing such destruction, pushing the world to nuclear war, etc.