Shot in the Dark

Ukraine

Established upfront: conventional warfare, especially one where the news media is working down stream from a regime that is among the most effective manipulators of information in the past 80 years, is phenomenally subject to the vicissitudes of Berg‘s 18th law.

But at the end of the first day, it appeared that the Ukrainians were holding back most of the Russian advances (other than the attack north out of Crimea), had held off or perhaps defeated at least one of the airborne assaults on air fields around Kiev, and had managed to disperse their Air Force and decentralized enough of their command and control that Russian attempts at a decapitation attack weren’t nearly successful enough to leave the Ukrainians floundering and rudderless.

Other, highly unconfirmed reports indicated that at least one Ukrainian Air Force pilot had become an ace, with 3-6 kills in one day of fighting. So far, the story has all the hallmarks of an urban legend, and probably war time underdog propaganda.

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Mitch Berg

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106 responses to “Ukraine”

  1. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Zelensky stood firm against Trump and now he is standing firm against Trump’s hero Putin, even in the face of death. For a moment, just contemplate the difference in moral character between the two men on the so-called “perfect” phone call.

  2. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Putin is said to be heavily influenced by a 1973 USSR television miniseries, Seventeen Moments of Spring. Putin would have been in his early 20s when it was first aired. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/WZhgXs_iFRs
    The miniseries is set towards the end of WW2. The US is open to a separate peace with the Nazis, if they will join us and march on Moscow. The hero is a KGB agent who spoils the plot.

  3. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Uh . . . Emery seems confused about who holds the actual position of President of the United States, whose weakness provoked Putin to attack Ukraine. That president is named “Joseph Robinette Biden.”

  4. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    No love between Trump and Putin in Trump’s CPAC speech. Just pro-America stuff. No wonder the Left hates it.

  5. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Let’s be clear about the Real Trump. That was the demonstrated draft-dodging coward who sold out the Syrian Kurds for Thirteen Pieces of Silver from Erdogan in what has to be the most cowardly, craven, chicken-crap exercise of moral and physical cowardice by any US president acting as commander-in-chief in 230 years.

    No, the critics been right about Trump all along. No socially redeeming qualities whatsoever in this Rorschach test of the American right’s paranoid inadequacy and reactionary greed. Just cowardice and inadequacy in mega-wattage doses.

  6. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Emery seems confused

    He’s a robot. He’s just says the shit he’s been programmed to say. Multiple people have confronted him with the contradictions of what he asserts and he comes back and just reasserts them all over again. And again. And again….

  7. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    With the entire world seeing the kind of leader Zelenskyy is, remember that Trump’s only interaction with him was extorting him by withholding military aid for dirt on Biden. If there’s an opposite kind of leader (and person) from Trump, it might be Zelensky.

  8. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    . . . whereas Biden’s only known interaction with Zelinsky was to pressure him to fire the anti-corruption prosecutor who was investigating Hunter Biden’s no-show job with Burisma.
    ROFL, you can’t win this, Emery.

  9. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Hey, Emery, what’s the name of Biden’s grand daughter — you know, the one he never mentions. He didn’t even put up a stocking for her at the white house Christmas display, that seems harsh.
    Here it is. She-who-must-not-be-mentioned is named “Navy Jones Roberts.”

  10. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Germany is finally awake.

    In less than a week Germany has thrown out a defense and foreign policy strategy that endured for 75 years, while also suspending Nordstream 2.

    /Germany to Raise Defense Spending Above 2% of GDP in Response to Ukraine War/
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-to-raise-defense-spending-above-2-of-gdp-11645959425

    For four years, Americans were idiotically and falsely told that: “America First” would make “America great again.” In this Ukraine crisis, the world is seeing the amazing overwhelming power of democracies united in a common cause of collective security.

  11. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    That’s why bombs are falling on Ukraine. I guess Putin is the one tough guy Biden can’t take on. Germany is filling the power vacuum left by Biden.
    Harvard Man Antony Blinken strikes again:
    Each time, the Chinese officials, including the foreign minister and the ambassador to the United States, rebuffed the Americans, saying they did not think an invasion was in the works. After one diplomatic exchange in December, U.S. officials got intelligence showing Beijing had shared the information with Moscow, telling the Russians that the United States was trying to sow discord — and that China would not try to impede Russian plans and actions, the officials said.
    https://news.yahoo.com/u-officials-repeatedly-urged-china-132921273.html

  12. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    ^^ 🚨🚨 BDS seek help…

    It appears that Putin may simply have been caught up in the logic of his own lies and disinformation.

    The Russian economy is a disaster. It’s success or failure hangs on energy prices and the willingness of the oligarchs to leave something behind for the state after they have stolen as much as they can carry.

    The country builds little, invents nearly nothing. It’s greatest use of talent has been the development of its cyber-criminal enterprises. Putin’s government has done nothing constructive for the Russian people. It survives by inventing enemies and mobilizing public opinion against them (remind you of anyone?)

    Every once in a while it may prove necessary to act against a putative enemy — foment unrest in Georgia, take Crimea, support separatists in the Donbas, — (build a wall on your southern border). Maybe, just maybe, when the rhetoric takes on a life of its own you end up engaging in a futile act of war with no good endgame. It’s been known to happen to better countries than Russia.

  13. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    The Russian economy is a disaster. It’s success or failure hangs on energy prices

    Perhaps then you can connect these dots… the US is importing 800k (that’s thousands) barrels of oil from Russia *per day* which is pretty darn close to if not exactly how many barrels of oil the Keystone pipeline would’ve carried. Per day. You know, the pipeline closed by the imbecile in chief. And Euros, who could frack natural gas and/or replace it with nuclear power are dependent on Russia to stay warm this winter.

    So, basically, Ukrainians are bleeding against a Russian war machine subsidized by American and western European money.

    But Trump…

  14. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    … oh, yeah, and as long as you bring up borders… until the Democrats take the US border as seriously as they do Ukraine’s, I don’t support any war effort.

  15. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Why would anyone listren to the ravings of an internet troll who STILL believes Trump colluded to steal the 2016 election from Hillary? I mean, the guy has more than one loose screw.

  16. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Re: Keystone — Oil price is set by a global market. A disruption anywhere raises prices everywhere. The Keystone pipeline was only an additional shortcut to bring a little more Canadian product, mostly for overseas. We’re currently exporting more oil than we’re importing and are on track to do so into 2023. And it was awhile away from any product anyway. It’s meaningless.

    The price of oil makes headlines. But in the 2020s, it’s natural gas that is the instrument of power.

  17. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    When reality ignores Liberals’ carefully crafted self-delusions, they flail about blaming everyone and everything else. It’s in moments like these that Liberals are most dangerous. That’s why we don’t want them to have sharp objects or worse yet, firearms.

    Thanks, E, for the reminder.

  18. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Not only flailing, JD, but gaslighting, and lying too.

  19. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Btw, the President’s son was paid millions of dollars by Ukraine and he spent it on Russian hookers.

  20. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    And, oh, yeah, in that regard, recall that Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in loan assistance from Poroshenko in 2016 unless he fired the prosecutor general. Biden bragged about it in 2019.

  21. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    You’ll hear contrary from Putin-friendly commenters, but … under Biden’s leadership, the US remains the world’s number one producer of both oil and natural gas — and a net exporter of both. US is firmly energy independent, and can help allies. Our energy independence was definitely a big Biden accomplishment.

  22. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Hahahahahaha! The robot returns.

  23. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Once again, Emery is having a reality problem:
    The United States became a net total energy exporter in 2019 for the first time since 1952 and maintained that position in 2020 even though both total energy production and consumption were lower in 2020 than in 2019. Total U.S. energy exports exceeded total energy imports by 3.46 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2020, the largest margin on record. U.S. energy exports in 2020 totaled 23.47 quads, and energy imports fell 13% to 20.0 quads, the lowest level since 1992.
    https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/imports-and-exports.php

  24. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    I tried, MP, with my link above too. But robots aren’t affected by facts, their memory must be erased and reprogrammed.

  25. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    And Biden went back to Delaware again. What a useless SOB.

  26. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    ^ That’s just the kind of thing a Putin-lover would say.

  27. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    “There is no NATO – it doesn’t exist except as a military bureaucracy.”

    You know you’re an unpopular leader when Sweden is sending your enemy 5,000 anti-tank missiles.

    Germany has been a revelation. From doubtful ally of an almost mercenary bent, Scholz has demonstrated remarkable leadership to bring Germany right back into the centre of the alliance. Germany can be trusted again. Putin has killed Swedish neutrality and German pacifism in a single weekend.

  28. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Sweden regularly deale with Russian subs trying to sneak through the Baltic & Russian rocket tests gone wrong.
    Of course the Swedes oppose Russian expansionism.
    Emery is a fargin’ idiot.

  29. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    One nice thing about the Russian invasion of Ukraine – it tore the mask off the pathetic ‘defense’ plans of European nations. They were not ready to stand up to invasion and everybody sees it now. After a bad first few days, at least a couple nations are finding their spines and offering useful help. And I bet the line commanders are frantically updating their inventorys and field manuals in case this thing spills over. Nothing concentrates the mind like your neighbor being shot at.

    In that regard, it’s refreshing that Lesko Brandon has taken part of my advice: no blood for borscht. Reserve American troops to defend America. But it’s disappointing that he didn’t take Mitch’s advice:

    Mitch Berg on February 14, 2022 at 11:51 am said:
    So yes, pull all the troops home

    Give the Euros who are serious about defense – the Poles, Estonians and Baltics, Ukraine and the like – whatever they need to keep Russia at bay, and let them do what they do.

    But hey, he ordered the banks to bounce a few people’s checks, so that’s something. I guess.

  30. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    With the revelations about this as a Memorex War (media using images from earlier conflicts or conflicts in other places to frame a narrative), does it seem odd that Nazi and Confederate flags showed up in Canada but not in Ukraine?

    Doesn’t Antifa have a franchise there?

  31. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    What, and break a nail? And don’t forget images from videogames. Baghdad Bob? Meh… he was a piker by comparison. Can’t trust anyone to get the truth.

    And about them Eu scum waking up? Where the fuck were they BEFORE the invasion? If they had found their balls then, we may not have had an invasion. Now, they are worried. What are they gonna do when Vlad stages nukes on the Byelorussian border? 5000 missiles against 50,000 tanks? Math-challenged cretins. But you know what, reap what you shall sow. As Zelensky said, conflict started in 2014, where were they THEN?

    And while I am ranting about virtue signaling motherfuckers – they closed Nord stream 2. Nord stream, fucking, 2! Pipeline that never delivered pound one. Do you know why it is Nord stream 2 and not 1? Because 1 continues to deliver energy! Yea, that showed Vlad! Fucking libturd mindless trollbot propagandist scum.

  32. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Sleepy Joe has accomplished uniting NATO and the Western world. And his efforts didn’t just start 2 months ago. He has spent the last year repairing strategic alliances Trump shattered.

    Short term, he has out maneuvered Putin at virtually every turn and in the process, exposed Russian evil and dishonesty to the world by simply announcing in advance every step Russia was about to take and every lie Russia was making.

    Our intelligence has been masterful.

    He also saw this coming for some time and has been working with US and international liquid gas producers to surge shipments to Europe to protect against Putin’s predicable reaction.

  33. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    Who knew this blog has its own Baghdad Bob, aka The Bob of the Birkie?

  34. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    Emery clowned himself, again.

    With his hailing of Germany, he has actually admitted that Trump was right and Germany finally decided to anti up. The rest of the EU will probably follow suit.

  35. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    UGH! “ante up”. Damned autocorrect!

  36. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    BTW, our “intelligence” came from Eastern European intelligence agencies & the Israelis.

  37. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Note that Americans, who are fed an endless loop of pro-Biden propaganda by the media and FB, believe by a large majority that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine of Trump was still prez: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/595919-62-percent-of-voters-say-putin-wouldnt-have-invaded-ukraine-if-trump

    The 62% number includes 38% of self-identified Democrats.

  38. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    It’s worth noting that Trump’s embrace of Putin will somehow end up looking even worse to history than it did when he was president. (And it looked pretty bad at the time).

  39. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    What do you mean by “Trump’s embrace of Putin”? Are you referring to the debunked “Russian collusion” hoax?
    Again, 62% of Americans believe that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump were president. This number includes 38% of democrats.

  40. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    MP, you are arguing with a mental midget incapable of simple comprehension, reciting ad infinitum pablum fed by his handlers.

  41. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Down is up. War is peace. Lies are truth. Evil is good.

    Heller’s chaplain: “It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence… brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.”

  42. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Emery’s description of Trump “embracing” Putin is classic liberal emphasis of form over substance. Trump speaks well of Putin, thus he must love him, is the Democratic logic. Ignored is the fact that, unlike Obama, Trump did authorize weapons for Ukraine, and Trump did work to reduce the price of Russia’s main source of hard currency while working to reduce Russia’s access to European markets.

    With friends like Trump, Russia didn’t need any enemies, but of course Democratic myopia won’t let them see that.

  43. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Gonna be bad in Mother Russia, though, as apparently the cost of the ammo and supplies they’re going through is about $20 billion per day, which is about four times their GDP on a daily basis. So if this goes more than a week or so, they will be hurting very, very badly, especially since it appears their arms factories aren’t capable of keeping up with demand. We might get to reform two countries after this because Russia will be coming to us, hat in hand.

    I’d suggest a great place to start would be Comrade Putin’s $220 billion stash.

  44. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Down is up. War is peace. Lies are truth. Evil is good.

    Heller’s chaplain: “It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence… brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.”

    Always worth remembering that when they’re not outright lying or gaslighting, they’re projecting.

  45. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    I heard the 20 billion figure, but I am not sure if that is dollars or rubles.
    For four years I heard liberals talk about Trump’s love for Putin, but it was never in Trump’s words, never in his actions. Those people are loony.

  46. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Russia needs to understand that there is a cost to being a pariah. Despite some absurd assurances from its central bank, Russian banks probably have a week before they start collapsing. China by itself will not be able to bail Russia out of this mess. The Chinese can help Russia circumvent some sanctions but at some point even the Chinese banks will be reluctant to get involved. Does Russia really want to stake its economy and banking system on the goodwill of the Chinese? China only looks out after China.

  47. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    It’s not a great sign for Putin that Trump is jumping out in front of the NATO parade.

    Trump reminded me of how he missed his true calling as a carnival barker in a statement released Monday morning in which he took credit for NATO’s existence.

    Trump Says NATO Wouldn’t Exist if it Weren’t for Him ~ Save America Donald Trump
    https://tinyurl.com/y2fx298k

  48. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Still waiting for Emery to back up his assertion that Trump “embraced” Putin.
    All he’s got is intestinal gas.
    So you can consider that claim of Emery’s to have been refuted. He might as well have written that Trump was responsible for Garfield’s assassination. It’s all just assertion on his part.
    BTW, here is the pro-Biden WaPo on “The false and misleading claims President Biden made during his first100 days in office”
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/biden-fact-checker-100-days/
    Only a fool starts a fight he cannot win. Emery is that fool.

  49. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    Here’s the difference between Trump and Biden: Biden is not suggesting that the US blackmail Ukraine to find dirt on Trump in order to receive military aid.

  50. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    MP, you asked for more intestinal gas, you got it. Don’t say I did not warn you.

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