Strangelovesurfing + 737 JD February 3, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 1:09 PM, Tomasz said: Looks like you don't like consequences of broken promise to not expand NATO eastward in last 30 years. Cookies on Maidan to anyone? Next time remember to execute the verbal agreement about not one inch eastward. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early There was no promise or written agreement regarding NATO expansion, you're spreading Putin's propaganda, KGB forever eh' comrade? https://www.csis.org/analysis/twq-myth-no-nato-enlargement-pledge-russia-spring-2009 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/11/06/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/ As for broken agreements and promises... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 3, 2022 https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/02/01/ukrainians-train-guerrilla-tactics-case-russia-invades.html Military News Ukrainians Train in Guerrilla Tactics in Case Russia Invades An aerial view on the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 3, 2022 39 minutes ago, ronwagn said: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/02/01/ukrainians-train-guerrilla-tactics-case-russia-invades.html Military News Ukrainians Train in Guerrilla Tactics in Case Russia Invades An aerial view on the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Yes, the best region for that! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_in_Malinovka 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 3, 2022 2 hours ago, Strangelovesurfing said: There was no promise or written agreement regarding NATO expansion, you're spreading Putin's propaganda, KGB forever eh' comrade? https://www.csis.org/analysis/twq-myth-no-nato-enlargement-pledge-russia-spring-2009 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/11/06/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/ As for broken agreements and promises... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances Not what FOI requests say https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2018-03-16/nato-expansion-what-yeltsin-heard Memorandum is the full name of memo. It is not a binding treaty, but work-in-progress report / statement of intent. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 3, 2022 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/31/in-search-of-a-better-life-thousands-of-russians-are-crossing-the-mexican-border-to-america-a76207 In Search of a Better Life, Thousands of Russians Are Crossing the Mexican Border to America 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 3, 2022 51 minutes ago, ronwagn said: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/31/in-search-of-a-better-life-thousands-of-russians-are-crossing-the-mexican-border-to-america-a76207 In Search of a Better Life, Thousands of Russians Are Crossing the Mexican Border to America What a man! He should've started in Guatemala to better blend in, instead of Cancun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUZNV + 1,197 February 3, 2022 (edited) Never thought I will have to quote mainstream someday to show that it doesn't make any geopolitical sense even to many ex Ukraine officers. Quote U.S. Accused of Hyping Russia Invasion of Ukraine, Frustrating Kyiv, Moscow https://www.newsweek.com/us-hype-russia-invasion-intel-angers-moscow-rift-ukraine-1675313 ------------- Hype like this will affect Ukraine poor people. Most of the Aids won't reach the common rural people who need them the most but the elites & politician in the urban cities and widen the gap between the rich and the poor and more conflicts. This is the same in Vietnam, Afgan and now Ukraine. If EU really care about Ukraine, why would they have Nordstream1 and 2 just for Germany to have cheap gas without paying transmitting fees. German are Russia's geopolitical enemy yet need Russia gas and will never support a normalization with Russia. Any country that get stuck in between like Ukraine, Poland etc will need a third country to support, that's why Trump's policy make geopolitical sense to me, reduce troops in Germany and move to Poland. US politicians support are essential with France and Germany politicians regardless what conflicts on newspaper to make their people proud that they dare to criticize the US, they will do lobbying and influence US politics behind the scene, such as portrait a utopia in Western Europe which makes US people vote for socialism. Anyone try to break this situation and deal directly with the countries in the middle will be portrait as side with Russia in US politics. Western Europe mainstream influence US elections much worse than Russia with their lobbying and media but because they are allies and Russia is enemy, so a lobbying from an ally is acceptable? The Western attitude toward Russia forced Russia to have a dictatorship to stop the corruption politicians from democracy system lobbying by world bankers. If Russia wanted corruption, they would rather choose homemade Communism like China. Many US voters are too busy with internal politics, stock, jobs, healthcare and retirement to understand this. If it doesn't make geopolitical sense, then it is very likely US politicians are paid to act. ''I will donate money to you so you should allow me to show my resentment on newspapers because my voters don't like you much" . "Okay, but I will need your support for election, show my opponent some hate so I can show my experience and leadership" Lincoln said: "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time". I whole heartily agree, but it can be very long time (look at China) and the price to pay in the future are very high. IMHO, dictatorship or democracy depends on the motivations of the one who executed it for the country or not. The risk of dictatorship is the dictator made a wrong decision and the people pay or the transition to next generation will create a vacuum of power. Or the dictator can easily corrupt himself or cruel with that much power and responsibility. Democracy doesn't mean freedom as they could create Hugo Chavez or Hitler. What if democracy in Ukraine politicians is more corrupted than Putin but because Putin got targeted by mainstream. Assassinate "political opponent" doesn't make much sense either because if you are a dictator, you would be voted for sure. It also can be the Eastern Ukraine people wanted Russia for better life if they hated Kiev was corrupted and they fed up. We have villages in Afghan was treated unfairly by Kabul so they joined Taliban so why not Ukraine? I don't understand the nationalism of both Germany and Kiev Rus relationship in the first place so I don't use my nationalism point of view. I don't have much info about Putin and I trust him as much as I trust Western Politicians and mainstream so I question both sides and put out my own thinking. Not many countries can keep both freedom and democracy like in the US, thanks to the divide of power structure and arguably gun ownership, but democracy should never be taken for granted. Got covid19 and headache so I don't know if my writing make sense. Edited February 3, 2022 by SUZNV 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
notsonice + 1,266 DM February 3, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: Not what FOI requests say https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2018-03-16/nato-expansion-what-yeltsin-heard Memorandum is the full name of memo. It is not a binding treaty, but work-in-progress report / statement of intent. but work-in-progress report / statement of intent.???? meaningless garbage from you over and over again. Work in progress??? another way to say bullshit, their was never work on limiting NATO , no deal no talks nothing expect babbling from a guy (Yelstin) who was drunk ALL of the time. F Putin and his cronies. How much is he paying you? Edited February 3, 2022 by notsonice Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 3, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, notsonice said: but work-in-progress report / statement of intent.???? meaningless garbage from you over and over again. Work in progress??? another way to say bullshit, their was never work on limiting NATO , no deal no talks nothing expect babbling from a guy (Yelstin) who was drunk ALL of the time. F Putin and his cronies. How much is he paying you? This is from Google's dictionary Dictionary memorandum /mɛməˈrandəm/ noun noun: memorandum; plural noun: memoranda; plural noun: memorandums a written message in business or diplomacy. "he told them of his decision in a memorandum" Similar: message communication note email letter epistle missive memo a note recording something for future use. "the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on economic cooperation" Do I have to teach you your own language, you illiterate moron? What they were working on was some "Annex on Ukraine's accession to the NPT Treaty" When Ukraine joined without any strings attached, the document expired. Not a single signatory, including Ukraine itself, ever tried to ratify it. This is because the purpose of the exercise was to get the old Soviet nukes out of Ukraine's mitts, not to give them security assurances. Yes, Yeltsin and Gorbatchev are traitors to our people, while Putin is the best thing that happened to us in a long time. You hating him so much merely proves he's doing something right. If you actually look at NSA site, you'll see that there was very much work. Not on "limiting" NATO, but on dissolving it altogether. Because without the Warsaw Treaty, the North Atlantic Pact is also meaningless. Is a solution looking for a problem, like it is now. The only Western politician talking about it in public was Germany's Genscher. Edited February 3, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomasz + 1,608 February 3, 2022 The ruble has become the most undervalued currency in the world according to the Big Mac Index published by The Economist - its rate should be around 23 rubles per dollar. The authors of the study note that in the US, the Big Mac costs $ 5.81 (about 444 rubles), while in Russia it costs 135 rubles, or $ 1.77. Thus, the fair exchange rate of the Russian currency should be 23.24 rubles to the dollar, and now the ruble is undervalued by 70%. At the same time, the ruble was placed last on the list of currencies presented in the ranking. In the rankings of January and July 2021, it was in the penultimate place, while the Lebanese pound was in last place. This time the penultimate place was taken by the Turkish lira, underestimated by 67.9%. At the same time, the euro in the rating from January 2022 was undervalued by 14.7%, and the British pound by 17.1%. Among the revalued ones, there are two currencies - the Swiss franc (by 20.2%) and the Norwegian krone (by 10%). In the rankings from January and July last year, the Swedish krona was also among the overvalued currencies. Now it is considered underestimated by 0.4%. The Big Mac Index has been calculated since 1986 and published twice a year. The indicator is based on the purchasing power parity (PPP) theory, which assumes that in the long run the exchange rate should equalize the cost of the basket of goods and services in different countries. The price of a burger that is sold at McDonald's restaurants in most countries of the world is taken as an indicator. If the price of a Big Mac in a country in dollars is higher than in the US, then the corresponding currency is considered overvalued, if it is lower then vice versa. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starschy + 211 PM February 3, 2022 (edited) 22 hours ago, Strangelovesurfing said: There was no promise or written agreement regarding NATO expansion, you're spreading Putin's propaganda, KGB forever eh' comrade? That is not quite true. It‘s not published but qualified sources confirm that this happened in Budapest 1994. One source is Mr. Horst Teltschick a Top Ranking Adviser to Chancellor Mr. Helmuth Kohl. Russian sources claim they will publish those documents, usually secret documents will not be published. As example the published Nato paper from El Pais Russian sources told this Tass 2 weeks ago that those paper will be published in the near future. Edited February 3, 2022 by Starschy 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 4, 2022 12 hours ago, SUZNV said: Never thought I will have to quote mainstream someday to show that it doesn't make any geopolitical sense even to many ex Ukraine officers. ------------- Hype like this will affect Ukraine poor people. Most of the Aids won't reach the common rural people who need them the most but the elites & politician in the urban cities and widen the gap between the rich and the poor and more conflicts. This is the same in Vietnam, Afgan and now Ukraine. If EU really care about Ukraine, why would they have Nordstream1 and 2 just for Germany to have cheap gas without paying transmitting fees. German are Russia's geopolitical enemy yet need Russia gas and will never support a normalization with Russia. Any country that get stuck in between like Ukraine, Poland etc will need a third country to support, that's why Trump's policy make geopolitical sense to me, reduce troops in Germany and move to Poland. US politicians support are essential with France and Germany politicians regardless what conflicts on newspaper to make their people proud that they dare to criticize the US, they will do lobbying and influence US politics behind the scene, such as portrait a utopia in Western Europe which makes US people vote for socialism. Anyone try to break this situation and deal directly with the countries in the middle will be portrait as side with Russia in US politics. Western Europe mainstream influence US elections much worse than Russia with their lobbying and media but because they are allies and Russia is enemy, so a lobbying from an ally is acceptable? The Western attitude toward Russia forced Russia to have a dictatorship to stop the corruption politicians from democracy system lobbying by world bankers. If Russia wanted corruption, they would rather choose homemade Communism like China. Many US voters are too busy with internal politics, stock, jobs, healthcare and retirement to understand this. If it doesn't make geopolitical sense, then it is very likely US politicians are paid to act. ''I will donate money to you so you should allow me to show my resentment on newspapers because my voters don't like you much" . "Okay, but I will need your support for election, show my opponent some hate so I can show my experience and leadership" Lincoln said: "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time". I whole heartily agree, but it can be very long time (look at China) and the price to pay in the future are very high. IMHO, dictatorship or democracy depends on the motivations of the one who executed it for the country or not. The risk of dictatorship is the dictator made a wrong decision and the people pay or the transition to next generation will create a vacuum of power. Or the dictator can easily corrupt himself or cruel with that much power and responsibility. Democracy doesn't mean freedom as they could create Hugo Chavez or Hitler. What if democracy in Ukraine politicians is more corrupted than Putin but because Putin got targeted by mainstream. Assassinate "political opponent" doesn't make much sense either because if you are a dictator, you would be voted for sure. It also can be the Eastern Ukraine people wanted Russia for better life if they hated Kiev was corrupted and they fed up. We have villages in Afghan was treated unfairly by Kabul so they joined Taliban so why not Ukraine? I don't understand the nationalism of both Germany and Kiev Rus relationship in the first place so I don't use my nationalism point of view. I don't have much info about Putin and I trust him as much as I trust Western Politicians and mainstream so I question both sides and put out my own thinking. Not many countries can keep both freedom and democracy like in the US, thanks to the divide of power structure and arguably gun ownership, but democracy should never be taken for granted. Got covid19 and headache so I don't know if my writing make sense. Sorry to hear you have Covid. I recommend hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin ASAP after confirmation. Also zinc, vitamin D3, vitamin C, vitamin B complex and many other therapeutics. I am not licensed to give you medical advice. America is a republic based on a constitution that is in danger of being ignored by Demoncrats and RINO Republicans. If that continues America is in danger of becoming like the major European countries and losing freedom of speech, gun rights, etc. There would be a revolution if things went too far but the federal government has been preparing for that for decades. They are running false flags to put out false narratives. They are lying about everything and the have information about every American citizen plus, access to all of their online information. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 4, 2022 20 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: What a man! He should've started in Guatemala to better blend in, instead of Cancun. Cancun has a lot more foreigners, so anybody could blend in. Few visitors to Guatemala by comparison. Mexico doesn't care anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 4, 2022 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/01/what-would-a-war-with-ukraine-mean-for-ordinary-russians-a76215 What Would a War With Ukraine Mean for Ordinary Russians? Instead of mobilizing public opinion ahead of the 2024 presidential election, a war with Ukraine would have the opposite effect. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 4, 2022 (edited) 49 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Cancun has a lot more foreigners, so anybody could blend in. Few visitors to Guatemala by comparison. Mexico doesn't care anyway. Cancun is a swanky resort town. If you are asking for asylum, you are supposed to make some kind of impression to be struggling? Don't think arriving through Cancun helps this cause. The whole thing is stupid, anyway. If he can go to Cancun, he can get a US visa too. The simplest way to become an illegal immigrant to US is to overstay a legal visa. Edited February 4, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 4, 2022 Just now, Andrei Moutchkine said: Cancun is a swanky resort town. If you are asking for asylum, you are supposed to make some kind of impression to be struggling? Don't think arriving through Cancun helps this cause. As, I said, the Mexicans don't care IMHO. It is money passing through their country. To my knowledge Mexico is a narco terrorist state run with partial government cooperation. We have a lot of industries operating along the border so it is hard to say what is more lucrative. Journalists are routinely murdered for uncovering the evils that occur. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 4, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, ronwagn said: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/01/what-would-a-war-with-ukraine-mean-for-ordinary-russians-a76215 What Would a War With Ukraine Mean for Ordinary Russians? Instead of mobilizing public opinion ahead of the 2024 presidential election, a war with Ukraine would have the opposite effect. This is Moscow Times' interpretation of the complete lack of warmongering on the Russian airwaves. Not even at 2014 levels. Nobody cares, because everybody knows that there is no real invasion of Ukraine coming up. At most, an attempt by Ukraine to recapture Donbass with limited Russian participation. About the same attitude in the Ukraine, short of a few professional fruitcakes. The "imminent threat of Russian invasion" only exists in your media. Oops, did you hear Jen Psaky say the newest US policy is not to call it imminent anymore? (Now that it's been that way for a couple of months) Edited February 4, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 February 4, 2022 13 hours ago, SUZNV said: Never thought I will have to quote mainstream someday to show that it doesn't make any geopolitical sense even to many ex Ukraine officers. ------------- Hype like this will affect Ukraine poor people. Most of the Aids won't reach the common rural people who need them the most but the elites & politician in the urban cities and widen the gap between the rich and the poor and more conflicts. This is the same in Vietnam, Afgan and now Ukraine. If EU really care about Ukraine, why would they have Nordstream1 and 2 just for Germany to have cheap gas without paying transmitting fees. German are Russia's geopolitical enemy yet need Russia gas and will never support a normalization with Russia. Any country that get stuck in between like Ukraine, Poland etc will need a third country to support, that's why Trump's policy make geopolitical sense to me, reduce troops in Germany and move to Poland. US politicians support are essential with France and Germany politicians regardless what conflicts on newspaper to make their people proud that they dare to criticize the US, they will do lobbying and influence US politics behind the scene, such as portrait a utopia in Western Europe which makes US people vote for socialism. Anyone try to break this situation and deal directly with the countries in the middle will be portrait as side with Russia in US politics. Western Europe mainstream influence US elections much worse than Russia with their lobbying and media but because they are allies and Russia is enemy, so a lobbying from an ally is acceptable? The Western attitude toward Russia forced Russia to have a dictatorship to stop the corruption politicians from democracy system lobbying by world bankers. If Russia wanted corruption, they would rather choose homemade Communism like China. Many US voters are too busy with internal politics, stock, jobs, healthcare and retirement to understand this. If it doesn't make geopolitical sense, then it is very likely US politicians are paid to act. ''I will donate money to you so you should allow me to show my resentment on newspapers because my voters don't like you much" . "Okay, but I will need your support for election, show my opponent some hate so I can show my experience and leadership" Lincoln said: "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time". I whole heartily agree, but it can be very long time (look at China) and the price to pay in the future are very high. IMHO, dictatorship or democracy depends on the motivations of the one who executed it for the country or not. The risk of dictatorship is the dictator made a wrong decision and the people pay or the transition to next generation will create a vacuum of power. Or the dictator can easily corrupt himself or cruel with that much power and responsibility. Democracy doesn't mean freedom as they could create Hugo Chavez or Hitler. What if democracy in Ukraine politicians is more corrupted than Putin but because Putin got targeted by mainstream. Assassinate "political opponent" doesn't make much sense either because if you are a dictator, you would be voted for sure. It also can be the Eastern Ukraine people wanted Russia for better life if they hated Kiev was corrupted and they fed up. We have villages in Afghan was treated unfairly by Kabul so they joined Taliban so why not Ukraine? I don't understand the nationalism of both Germany and Kiev Rus relationship in the first place so I don't use my nationalism point of view. I don't have much info about Putin and I trust him as much as I trust Western Politicians and mainstream so I question both sides and put out my own thinking. Not many countries can keep both freedom and democracy like in the US, thanks to the divide of power structure and arguably gun ownership, but democracy should never be taken for granted. Got covid19 and headache so I don't know if my writing make sense. Correct indeed. American crocodile tears for the lack of democracy in Russia are really tears for control, not democracy. Were the Russian setup an average European liberal one, would it be completely saturated by American and British media and misc. Opinion-forming NGOs. This is how USA completely owns the EU politics. US actually prefers its client states to be dictatorships, for the clear chain of command https://truthout.org/articles/us-provides-military-assistance-to-73-percent-of-world-s-dictatorships/ Otherwise, you'll get an incoherent mess like Ukraine. Which is possibly quite democratic, but lacks any other redeeming quality whatsoever. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUZNV + 1,197 February 4, 2022 (edited) 15 hours ago, ronwagn said: Sorry to hear you have Covid. I recommend hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin ASAP after confirmation. Also zinc, vitamin D3, vitamin C, vitamin B complex and many other therapeutics. I am not licensed to give you medical advice. Thanks, Ron. I did drink Zinc, vitamin D3, C, B everyday. I am not going to see the doctor so I don't have prescription for hydroxychloroquine yet I got Quinine extract supplement (big finding to help the colonization of Africa and Vietnam with malaria which evolve to hydroxychloroquine ). Tonic water should be an alternative but I don't like the bitter part. I want to check daily SpO2 and would call ambulance if it reduces below 90% but I couldn't find the mini usb charger so I ordered one coming today, lol. As extra counter measure, I prepare tylenol to reduce my fever if it get too high to reduce cytokine if my body over react. My resting hear beat 62,64,66,70,72,74. This morning back to 72. Not a good experience but at least a natural way of the 3rd dose. I just realize I should add check blood pressure regularly my protocol as well. Edited February 4, 2022 by SUZNV add 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUZNV + 1,197 February 4, 2022 9 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: Correct indeed. American crocodile tears for the lack of democracy in Russia are really tears for control, not democracy. Were the Russian setup an average European liberal one, would it be completely saturated by American and British media and misc. Opinion-forming NGOs. This is how USA completely owns the EU politics. US actually prefers its client states to be dictatorships, for the clear chain of command https://truthout.org/articles/us-provides-military-assistance-to-73-percent-of-world-s-dictatorships/ Otherwise, you'll get an incoherent mess like Ukraine. Which is possibly quite democratic, but lacks any other redeeming quality whatsoever. IMHO, it is a bit of bias. Because: 1 Some of the messes in US was passed to US by their Western Europe allies and because US needed their help in the Cold War, she must came in to clean up the mess. My most familiar example is France back to VN after WW2 ( because I researched the most). 2 Consequence of the Cold War and "The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.” 3 "Enemy of enemy is friend" style. Save lots of US soldiers blood with money. The author should tick Russia in as well as US did send lots of fuels, food and steel so the Soviet Union could spam tanks and airplane to counter the poor resources axis. And to keep his list more precise it should be called totalitarians/fake democracy not dictatorship. You cannot change dictator every 8 years and in the reverse, we have many qualified "leaders" stay in powers more than 2 terms: Hugo, Lee Kwan Yew, Merkel. 4 Petrol Dollar. This is the consequence of the Western voted in Bretton Wood structure to get US aid so voters should take responsibility as karma. Even Russia has no vote but with Harry Dexter White, the US high officier who created it was their spy, they are part of it. I doubt any parties could predict the little "side effects" the following 70years though. The real problem is some time beside the military goals, US sample gift of democracy/liberal is not what the local people think they will need and this will undermine the military powers in the long run which is a waste of money and future taxes. US politicians know that for sure(they are expert of marketing so they can be elected) but they need their voters to happy with the future taxes for spending money on both military and "Built Back Better" local programs. Besides, any war will need a good reason to persuade soldiers (especially religious one) kill other human being, risk their life and endure hardships during the war. With the US which is better with the liberate and democracy brand name in both WW1 and WW2. But remember US democracy was built after the independent war, not during any war. A recipe of democracy with US military occupation during a war is a guarantee failure recipes. Equally I can argue that the author criticizing US has crocodile tears as well for the pain of the native. His purpose is not about sympathy but to bend his pen for his anti US agenda. This make the whole world in the verse of tears that profits the media but the real pain is in the local people in both sides. 10 hours ago, ronwagn said: America is a republic based on a constitution that is in danger of being ignored by Demoncrats and RINO Republicans. If that continues America is in danger of becoming like the major European countries and losing freedom of speech, gun rights, etc. There would be a revolution if things went too far but the federal government has been preparing for that for decades. They are running false flags to put out false narratives. They are lying about everything and the have information about every American citizen plus, access to all of their online information. US Republic was founded from scratch by selfless social and economical philosophers, combined with freedom loving "mob" warriors. Influenced by decentralized religion concept with right time at the right geopolitical place and this is quite unique combination among wars in human history. The "mobs" bravely fought for freedom not for their lords or religions which remind me the Spartacus rebel vs the Roman legions for comparison (Spartacus may have more chance if he is a warrior and a philosopher but that would be weird combination backed then). Most of the countries in history were founded by greedy kings, lords, general... politicians for the thirst of power, for glory, for putting name into history and under the conflicts among history, neighbors and cultures, it was very hard to reset effectively everything just by changing regimes or even political structure let along selfless founders. Sometimes I am glad I was not US born citizen so I can fully seeing the beautiful of concept without take it for granted. But if asked me a design to a solution for Vietnam right now, I would give up. Not enough elements. My favorite one is Thomas Jefferson with many of his quotes, but for this situation: "If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered." With USD is the world reserve currency, Fed is half private but even the Fed cannot control Eurodollar bubble outside of the US and with globalization economics, technically US is in this situation. This explains for any war US joined after WW2. It is sad to see more and more US youngster nowadays waste time in entertainment to boost their ergo and then blaming inequality to justify for socialism instead of realizing US job market is now the world class competition with much higher pay for the skills needed and maybe worse than welfare if not needed. They have a head start advantage but with the take things for granted attitude, sooner or later common citizen will have nothing and be happy with welfare system. Same as youth elsewhere except inheritance culture where if a parent have a assets, siblings competing to offer him retirement package, negligible welfare or pension system. If you missed out it would be very hard to work up again. Young generation in Asia the wage is negligible to have a house. Invest in karma for being reborn in a rich family is much better investment than invest in skills. In US at least you still have a choice. I guess US literature culture back the founder time much greater than now in term of social philosophy for even common origin people many of these founders made of (for aristocrat founders, if any, it is quite natural for them back then but still take risk for ideology ). Wonder what if Founding Fathers were born in current environment, they could have a chance to be great: -Social media promotes enviousness, marketing boosting ergo, -"Inclusive" group thinking instead of individualism. -Lack of religion or philosophy or historical knowledge to appreciate, acceptance and contribute/endure hardship instead of taking the current US position for granted and some how they can continue to do it indefinitely without a judgement day. I grew up in peaceful time so I guess I am spoiled as well but at least I enjoy history to feel appreciation and not complaining for the situation I am in. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 February 4, 2022 7 hours ago, SUZNV said: Thanks, Ron. I did drink Zinc, vitamin D3, C, B everyday. I am not going to see the doctor so I don't have prescription for hydroxychloroquine yet I got Quinine extract supplement (big finding to help the colonization of Africa and Vietnam with malaria which evolve to hydroxychloroquine ). Tonic water should be an alternative but I don't like the bitter part. I want to check daily SpO2 and would call ambulance if it reduces below 90% but I couldn't find the mini usb charger so I ordered one coming today, lol. As extra counter measure, I prepare tylenol to reduce my fever if it get too high to reduce cytokine if my body over react. My resting hear beat 62,64,66,70,72,74. This morning back to 72. Not a good experience but at least a natural way of the 3rd dose. I just realize I should add check blood pressure regularly my protocol as well. If you cannot keep your temperature below 104 F. degrees then call for help. Start taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce the temperature if it goes above 101 F. https://www.srhartley.com/fahrenheit-to-celsius/104-f-to-c/ Watch for a relapse after the first time you start feeling OK. It may or may not come. I would get the prescription ASAP to avoid suffering longer. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomasz + 1,608 February 5, 2022 The colective West now force Ukraine to finally accept the Minsk agreements. In this way, Ukraine's road to the West will be closed. Russia will calm down and the West will be able to focus on China. As a result of the Maidan, Russia chose China and the Russian-Chinese alliance is a disaster for the USA. At all costs, they must prevent this cooperation from deepening. The letting go of Ukraine is a small introductory price, and that's exactly what's happening 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomasz + 1,608 February 5, 2022 (edited) Allow me to paste in yesterday's, in my opinion, a very instructive article from the Russian Kommersant. In my opinion, he aptly explains both the Russian armed demonstration and the hysteria in the Anglo-Saxon media. The goal is the final acceptance of the Minsk agreements by the Ukrainians. The West and Russia play bad and good policemen against the Ukrainians Objective -NATO cannot officially resign from its treaty provisions under pressure from Russia because then there is practically no NATO as an organization, since it can be forced to disregard its own treaty provisions by a simple military demonstration -The West, on the other hand, speaks very clearly to Ukraine itself - you know, you understand, we cannot and absolutely will not defend you militarily because it is what it is -start to implement the Minsk agreements, it is the achievement, finally, peace and so, Russia as a richer and more powerful country, sooner or later you will destroy you as Ukraine economically by oil, expensive coal, and very expensive gas The proverb says that before the fat one loses weight, the skinny one dies When Ukraine finally starts implementing the Minsk agreements, it will turn out that it is not the West as a whole that gives way to Putin's demands, that is, it is not some new Munich 1938 , but the Ukrainians, simply by sovereign decision does not want to join the Union and NATO any longer To achieve this result we need 1. Russia's fake military demonstration 2. Fake true Anglo-Saxon war hysteria 3. never ending stories of strange content what the West will impose sanctions from hell on Russia as soon as it attacks Ukraine by armed forces. Read how he will attack because as soon as, for example, the hybrid war against Ukraine is launched to the maximum, it is not because it is not a condition for imposing sanctions. even as it seems to make the so-called minor incursions (Crimea Donbass Luhansk) is also not. Well, but if there is a real blast like in Iraq, maybe so, but we are talking until then. 4. It all comes down to the fact that there will be no Iraq II. 5. The current situation around Ukraine is the best guarantee for Russia that every normally thinking businessman from the West will stay away from Ukraine for many years to come in terms of business, and the costs of the continuous, long-term militarization of Ukraine and the cyclical mobilization of the army and the rising prices of raw materials will sooner or later reach Ukraine even economically. 5. Even now, Russia is mobilizing around 100,000 and Ukraine needs a whole army of 250,000 at once. Mobilizing the army nowadays however, is very expensive fun. 6. And the decline of the Russian stock exchange is nothing more than the insider trading of the oligarchs who bought the shares at the bottom, knowing that there will be no major invasion. The variant seems to have been practiced one before in 2014/2015 in order to then to sell the same repurchased shares at the bottom to investors once again. 7. Russia also checked the answers to two important questions for her Will the West defend Ukraine? No, maybe only with some sanctions, but certainly not militarily Is NATO coherent with Russia as a whole? Probably not really. Because in whose vital interest it is? France and Germany do not necessarily seem to be interested. Maybe in the Polish and Baltic countries it is but its is France and Germany who decidea bout that in Europe. The French and the Germans probably showed very clearly where they have Ukrainian interest in competing for cooperation with Russia. Is it in the interests of Spain or Ital when they lie behind the seven mountains and forests from Ukraine? Or in the interest of our ally Orban? The conclusion of the article It is difficult to perceive the negotiations on the Donbas in isolation from the discussion between Russia and the West on security guarantees, which began in anticipation of a real great war. While it concerns security in the broadest sense, the Ukrainian issue is not last. For Moscow, the maximum program is the permanent closure of Ukraine's road to NATO. Moreover, the alliance itself must guarantee this. But such a concession would be too humiliating for the West and not very realistic. Another issue is the reintegration of Donbas in Ukraine under special conditions provided for in the Minsk agreements. Formally, neither the US, the EU, nor NATO admit anything here: the Ukrainian authorities are responsible for themselves. It is clear, however, that in this scenario ORDLO will become a serious obstacle on Kiev's path to Euro-Atlantic structures, which may suit Russia. It still remains to explain to the Ukrainian authorities why they have to agree to everything. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5182121?fbclid=IwAR3JArIrlU7WMEdpZe7B1Ej3p4GavJ9cRi6Hvr_Ifu38pGSyo7hYiQyyDBY Edited February 5, 2022 by Tomasz 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomasz + 1,608 February 5, 2022 (edited) Deck of "Ukrainian cards" Sergei Strokan on Kiev's search for new allies amid disappointment in the US and EU The intensification of the dialogue between Russia and the West on security issues has launched a process of radical reconfiguration of Ukraine's relations with the entire Euro-Atlantic community. The main tectonic shift is that the bet on both American and European foreign policy projects loses its former meaning for Kiev. Washington is increasingly pushing Kiev to comply with the Minsk agreements, but Kiev is resisting, and as a result, mutual disappointment is growing. It was the United States and the European Union that were addressed with the phrase of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov that the implementation of the Minsk agreements "would mean the destruction of the country." “They were signed at the point of a Russian gun, and Germany and France were watching this, and even then it was clear to all sane people that these documents could not be implemented,” Mr. Danilov said. But this recognition was made after the meeting of the Normandy Four in Paris and the agreement to hold another meeting in Berlin in February, as well as after statements by both US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements. Signs of the obsolescence of the American and pan-European projects are bad news for Kiev. But there is also good – conditionally good – news for Kiev. It consists in the fact that many countries in the West, East and post-Soviet space have their own views on Ukraine and are ready to actively play the “Ukrainian card” to solve their own domestic political and geostrategic tasks. It is clear that they are realizing their ambitions, that each of them is playing its own "Ukrainian card", but this circumstance allows Kiev to demonstrate the appearance that Ukraine is gaining new opportunities and new room for maneuver in situational alliances and partnerships. An illustration of this was the diplomatic pilgrimage to Kiev, which we are witnessing this week. The Prime Ministers of Britain, Poland and the Netherlands, the Minister of Defense of Canada have gathered in Kiev, and the President of Turkey is also expected in the Ukrainian capital the other day. And this is not a complete list of guests of Kiev. London's interest is to demonstrate the viability of a "global Britain" strategy that should make the country not only the leader of the Anglo-Saxon world, but also the new world center of power. Playing the "Ukrainian card" Poland and the Netherlands are increasing their geopolitical capitalization. After all, it turns out that they play in the same league with Britain and at the same time take on a special mission to protect Ukraine, which should increase their importance in the EU. Canada's interest lies on the surface - the country has an influential Ukrainian diaspora. And finally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who offered his mediation between Moscow and Kiev, does not leave attempts to take the laurels of the peacemaker of Greater Eurasia. Against the backdrop of solitaire "Ukrainian cards" in Kiev, they began to talk about a promising strategy of small alliances, which also included the Lublin Triangle (Ukraine-Poland-Lithuania), the Associated Trio (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova) and Quadriga "(Ukraine-Turkey). However, at the same time, the thick Ukrainian deck, apparently, may be left without aces. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5193734 Edited February 5, 2022 by Tomasz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomasz + 1,608 February 5, 2022 (edited) Budapest Memorandum is not biding document. It's only declaration of intent. Let's talk rather about famous not one inch eastward because NATO eastward expansion is true reason of new Cold War. George Kennan architect of policy of containment predicted this in article in NYT from 1998. Edited February 5, 2022 by Tomasz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites