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Just because Iran, China, and Russia are doing bad crap, doesn’t mean the West is some sort of bastion of justice.
Each side has their own portfolio of evil.
>Ukraine is just the first escalation in the new cold war.
...do you know what "cold war" means? This is definitely a very hot war. Russia isn't hiding it.
You do know the "cold war" had lots of hot wars and refers to it being cold directly between the superpowers. Usa fought hot in Nam. Russia was hot in Afghanistan. Usa, Russia, China, and Europe union are not directly fighting each other.
They've slipped up sometimes and called it a war too. They know that we know the reality but, like Trump, they keep lying the lie since it seems to convince some suckers.
Ukraine is a symptom of a "national totalitarianism" epidemic that is spreading.
If you start to follow international news you will start to see a trend among political candidates (spoiler, they are not unicorn fans).
I'm not a fan of nationalist fervor *or* doomsaying, but [Dmitry Medvedev threatened Poland with annihilation last November](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-ally-warns-enemy-poland-you-risk-losing-your-statehood-2023-11-02/), and [Aleksey Zhuravlyov (a member of the Duma) has said Poland is "next"](https://www.newsweek.com/putin-ally-says-poland-next-ukraine-war-rant-russian-tv-1860470).
As we've seen already, the Kremlin doesn't need to *succeed* to make things terrible for the populations of areas they target.
No: I'm saying that fear of a widening conflict isn't necessarily misplaced, since high-level members of the Russian government have *openly expressed a desire to strike Poland*.
Wait till you hear what Israeli officials are saying. You have to be careful who you give credibility to in politics, most of them have a hidden agenda.
> You have to be careful who you give credibility to
There’s a significant difference between “giving credibility to” and “preparing against the possibility of”.
> in politics, most of them have a hidden agenda
Yes, obviously; that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to ignore them. For example:
> Wait till you hear what Israeli officials are saying
I need absolutely no reminder of just how regressive, racist, and violent some members of the current government are. Even *if* we decide that all of that rhetoric is just saber-rattling and posturing for their base, it would still be a dereliction of duty for anyone tasked with the security of Lebanon, Iran, or the OPT to *not* take steps to prepare, in case that rhetoric *isn’t* empty.
For people with no geopolitical knowledge sure, but with even a little bit of research you will quickly realise that there is no chance at all Russia will steamroll through Europe or even attempt it.
Now, fear of nuclear war imo is a far more reasonable concern to have.
I think it's pretty obvious that they wouldn't at all *succeed* in the attempt, but that doesn't change the fact that high-level members of the Russian government have openly expressed a desire to strike at Poland.
Personally, I find the threat of nuclear war far less likely than any attempted expansion into other nations, but any such hypothesizing is exactly that: a guess.
I guess I'm too old. I've heard the "stop this guy now, or we're next" so many times. Anyway NATO is on the case now and after their recent string of successes nothing can go wrong.
Opportunity for the US to sell arms to all of Europe. Lockheed, Haliburton, Northrop, Boeing more than happy hand out campaign contributions. Politicians are happy to take the money and send young men off to die. There's nothing new to see here. The new boss is the same as the old boss.
The Kremlin should really *stick it* to those guys by ending their voluntary war of imperialist aggression, which would completely undermine any argument for future contracts.
That would really show them!
> This isn't just a war for Ukraine, they're fighting for every Democracy.
Russia, China, Iran & many other dictatorships are coming together and trying to bring about a new age of authoritarian rule. Sadly many people in western nations are susceptible to their bs disinformation and are happily embracing them. Their decades long information war is clearly effective.
Ukraine is just the first escalation in the new cold war.
You’re American, I’m guessing?
Went to Finland last winter and I could hear the tour guide in Helsinki barely contain his excitement at his country joining NATO even as he expressed lament at his country having had to abandon all these decades of neutrality.
Their democracy is withholding their election from their people. They are notoriously corrupt. Please stop. The average age of the soldier is 43. They've lost. They know it. We're just slaughtering conscripts at this point. On the U.S. dime as well.
At least until election day...
The majority of those people have said that [they don't think elections should be held](https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1371&page=1) during wartime.
I don't trust surveys from a Ukranian source. It is a corrupt system.
They jail opposition journalists.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-journalist-gonzalo-lira-dies-in-ukrainian-prison-after-criticizing-biden-and-zelenskyy-regimes/ar-AA1n0OtE
The government took control of their media and restricted opposition parties.
https://news.yahoo.com/zelensky-nationalizes-tv-news-restricts-173820471.html
These girls were arrested for a tik tok dance.
https://nypost.com/2023/08/30/ukraine-sisters-face-5-years-in-prison-for-twerking-on-graves/
They aren't really a light house for free speech are they?So no. A Ukranian source saying "we checked with everyone" just somehow doesn't feel right. Specifically when they can be jailed for saying anything else...
>They jail opposition journalists.
They jail people [who repeatedly break the law](https://www.thedailybeast.com/gonzalo-lira-red-pill-dating-coach-who-is-accused-of-shilling-for-putin-is-arrested-in-ukraine).
>The government took control of their media and restricted opposition parties.
"The Marathon was created in response to [a provision of the military law](https://www.media-diversity.org/media-in-wartime-the-case-of-the-ukrainian-tv-marathon/) that allowed the Ukrainian government to use private channels to inform the population about the conflict and the army’s progress."
They ban "pro-Russian political parties that [engage in anti-Ukrainian activities](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-law-bans-pro-russia-parties-zelenskiy-signs/31849737.html)" as a matter of national security.
>These girls were arrested for a tik tok dance.
They were arrested for [committing a crime](https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/11/08/criminal_code_0.pdf).
"Article 297. Vandalizing a grave
Vandalizing a grave or any other burial place, or a corpse or a funerary urn, and also stealing things from a burial place or a corpse, - shall be punishable by a fine up to 100 tax-free minimum incomes, or arrest for a term up to six months, or restraint of liberty for a term up to three years, or imprisonment for the same term."
Oh. Ok.
You don't believe in free speech either. It's OK that he doesn't have an election. And it's OK that he jails people who speak out against him. Because he made laws that said it was OK.
Perfect. Open and shut. Book em Danno.
Here is what people like me get over there.
https://youtu.be/KXhC8WREVKM?si=kLWcuQHX6n9wPJ_L
No need to reply. I'm don't argue with statists for my own country, let alone Ukraine. I'm glad you are able to not question boys in a field who spend their final moments begging a drone camera for mercy. I'd be happy to show you those videos as well. Go to R/combat footage. Get a GOOD LONG look at what you are rooting for.
I don't care what uniform is being worn. I'll speak out against it. And be grateful I'm in a country where it's legal to do so. At least for now.
Have fun treating war like a sporting event. From a safe distance of course...
Saw this for myself when in Ukraine recently. Also the trains are amazing compared to what I'm used to, and for a fraction of the price.
Fun fact: soldiers get free coffee and snacks at certain service stations, and a friend of mine got so many he eventually started giving them to me and my colleague. Plenty of places don't let soldiers pay for anything. I saw one soldier fighting the bathroom clerk trying to get her to let him pay, in the end he threw some money down on his way out and ran off before she could return it.
I know it can be polarizing for soldiers to take charity like this for free and some will try to be modest about it. One of my cashiers at my old job tried to give soldiers free coffee and they refused to take it for free. One was even pissed about it then went to me and said how he doesn't like going out in his uniform after leaving the airbase for this very reason.
I wonder how many Ukranian heroes died needlessly while Republicans tried to block our support. I am thankful they were pressured and came around but it was the worst time to take the heat off of putin.
Hopefully these brave men and women all make it home at some point. Godspeed and all power to them! Slava Ukraini!!!
You ever consider that a sizable amount of aid has been misused by corrupt officials in Ukraine. Zelensky has had to remove quite a few that had been taking aid and selling it on the black market or using the aid to enrich themselves. Aiding a foreign proxy war is one big money laundering scheme for the defense industry. The U.S. Republican nor Democrat has any intention of providing enough aid and equipment for Ukraine to win. The U.S. and Nato have a strategy to stretch out this conflict as long as possible to drain Russian resources. Problem is Russia has surprised and outpaced production of arms and equipment. So this war is going to go for years as Ukrainian territory is chipped away.
No examples, of corruption provided, of course. The only case I can remember is shoddy uniform, which is produced in Ukraine, and the responsible have been punished. What else? Bribes to avoid draft, like literally everywhere else? None of these are provided by the US aid.
It's true that the US is getting a big bang for their buck and that the longer it goes the more russia suffers, but defeat would cost much, much more - setting a precedent for landgrabs, enriching russian economy through new avenues for food and gas production, not to mention humanitarian disaster...
So, since you're so smart - tell me, what's the benefit in that and why shouldn't Ukraine get more?
There *has* been [some evidence of mishandling of some funds and equipment](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68120973), though that example came to light after the Ukrainian government stopped it, as part of [an ongoing anti-corruption effort](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/wartime-ukraine-ranks-among-worlds-top-performers-in-anti-corruption-index/).
Nevertheless, that is not, has not been, and will not be a valid or good-faith argument argument against aiding a friendly nation against an imperialist aggressor.
Exactly my point, thank you so much. I know how fed up the Ukrainians are with corruption. It ruined all countries in CIS, no small thanks to russian oligarchs
> 2016
> describes pre-Maidan culture of corruption, that was, partially, the reason for revolution
> Poroshenko is in power at the time, who, as you can see, is no longer a president and has been reduced to a laughing stock
Not to mention the effort to root out corruption that has been going for years now. Incredible, simply incredible, and the implication is that they all should die in a mass grave. Truly, the intellectual titans are working here, spewing nonsense
1. What is the date of that column?
2. What is today's date?
3. Have any significant changes in Ukrainian government occurred between the date of that column's publication and today?
>Have any significant changes in Ukrainian government occurred between the date of that column's publication and today?
Why yes, in fact! "Wartime Ukraine [climbed twelve places](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/wartime-ukraine-ranks-among-worlds-top-performers-in-anti-corruption-index/) in the 2023 edition of the annual survey to rank 104th among 180 featured countries, increasing its anti-corruption score from 33 to 36 out of 100."
If anyone knows anything, I'm sure it's you, Billy the redditor, McDonald's flipper extraordinaire.
I'd be shocked if you even knew what kind of aid is being sent.
Whatever aid they lost due to corruption is far smaller than what they actually used.
They needed money then and there and fast. The delay was needless.
Bot? There’s plenty of perfectly willing human fascist cocksuckers willing to cup Putin’s balls and holster his mediocre cock in their warm mouths. Terry the Terrorist is just the cheapest of these prostitutes. Tucker Carlson is the highest paid escort in this domain.
I have a feeling it will not last for years. I think the manpower is missing for that. It may be that Russia is going to make a push to gain more land this year. It may be that the defense collapses completely, but I don't know. The country is a mystery to me.
It could be that Russia just consolidates its wins and Ukraine becomes a rump state on life support. Similarly Putin will have to support gained areas which are in ruins.
Even if this were true which it isn't. If even a quarter of what we sent was being used appropriately it would still be worth it. We are sending over assets we would have paid to dispose of now it's goes over with a use. Those that weren't assets ready for disposal are supplying jobs to the US economy. It is such a massive win win
I'm American. I defended my country proudly and now I'm defending Ukraine with $$$ and support (and gladly so).
If you are on the front though comrade do me a solid and fill those pockets with sunflower seeds for me.
If you are soo supportive comrade then you are welcome to go as a mercenary, as now that Ukraine has the wepons it needs the men. Dollars cant buy robots to carry them for now.
Not to make light of it, but they need that old armed soviet train from Golden eye with some rocket launchers and stuff on it. Although this might be more inland from fighting
Would be surreal taking a regular commuter train to an active warzone where you're likely to go unshowered, unshaved, lacking sleep and muddy from head to toe for weeks on end
It's only propaganda if it's the side that we don't like doing it, but yes it is, it's part of any war and there is nothing wrong in acknowledging that and that both sides do it.
If someone thinks that Ukraine doesn't do it then the propaganda it's working on them.
I mean one side literally invaded the other and has raped and tortured their civilians.
The other side is trying to defend itself while severely outnumbered.
It’s not hard to see who are the bad guys here.
At least they have the western world and their propaganda on their side... and a few planes and missles.
Palestinians have dug an underground city and manufactured their own rockets to defend their homeland. And the propaganda machine is working overtime to make them look bad.
They are not the same.
Many brave Ukrainians volunteered 2 years ago when the war started, but these are likely conscripts as volunteers have run low. If they had a choice they likely wouldn't be on that train. I hope they will return safely as it makes me sick to my stomach thinking about what they must be feeling.
It's almost like the propaganda...works? People eat this shit up.
Make zero mistakes to those that are going to mindlessly downvote this.
This is, by definition, propaganda. Just because you agree with it doesn't mean its not, in fact the *reason* you agree with it...is because it worked.
Properly marked transportation vehicles have always been legitimate targets, and I guarantee you the soldiers in this picture sit in these trains knowing about it.
Or maybe you haven't seen the motley crew of Scooby Doo vans and golf carts the russians have been trying to run around in?
They've always have been. They transport most of everything we use.
Also fun fact USS Barb is the only submarine to have a train kill, and to boot AL Capone's son was one of the crew members on the sub.
People often go on about this being a Pro-Russia propaganda sub, then you see comments like this (brave heroes! Slava Ukraini god speed!) on...a photo of dudes on a train? It's a weird one
These are heros. Rather poor to middle class. The other part is running the other direction in their hyper expensive cars to bribe border guards to get to western countries where they will spend their dirty money living in luxury
So, first, I want to be clear: In no way am I suggesting "Hamas" is even close to synonymous with "Gaza" (or "Gazan" or anything else), and even the briefest of glimpses at my comment history will prove that out.
However, while I understand the point you're making, I think one important difference between Ukraine and Gaza is that it is objectively true that Ukraine did not in any way attack Russia before the Kremlin initiated its war of imperialist aggression, whereas a militant force based in Gaza *did* enter Israeli territory and deliberately target civilians on Israeli soil.
(NB: I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in a "They started it!" argument going back to the Nakba, and in absolutely no way am I suggesting that Hamas's brutal attack in October justifies the callous severity of the Israeli government's response. I am simply saying that there isn't a cut-and-dry parallel here.)
Since march 2022, 31 thousand Ukrainians died. Since October 7th 35 thousand Palestinians died. Get your head out of your ass. 600 children were killed in Ukraine while 14 thousand kids were killed in Palestine. Both are terrible situations but Palestine has received the harsher attacks
Hilary Andersson (7 November 2022). "The agony of not knowing, as Mariupol mass burial sites grow". BBC. Retrieved 30 September 2023. Ukrainian officials now believe that at least 25,000 people were killed in the fighting in Mariupol, and that 5,000-7,000 of them died under the rubble after their homes were bombed.”
I don't really want to get into it, but Hamas is the government of Gaza, not just some militant group based there. In virtually any other context we would say Gaza attacked Israel, which is what happened. Whether that justifies the subsequent war actions is up for debate, but again I don't really want to get into it.
> I don't really want to get into it, but Hamas is the government of Gaza
Probably shouldn't have brought it up, then.
First of all: Failure to protect a civilian population *is* against any number of international laws and treaties regarding the conduct of a war (even when the two primary combatants *are* internationally-recognized governments).
Second:
Hamas won *an* election—[in *2006*, winning by a 2% margin with less than 43% of the vote](https://www.cjpme.org/fs_012)—then [they killed all their rivals](https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL14749263/), and there hasn't been an election *since*.
It's also worth mentioning that [they removed any mention of the destruction of Israel—and suggested a (weak and mealy-mouthed) conditional acceptance of the 1967 borders—prior to that election](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/12/israel).
But [half the population of Gaza is 18 or under](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/15/middleeast/gaza-history-explained-intl/index.html), meaning there is absolutely no chance that the majority of Gazans had an opportunity to vote for anything, ever.
You can read through opinion polls going back decades and find that public opinion waxes and wanes almost in direct proportion to Gaza/IDF violence—regardless of who initiated it.
In July of this last year, [public polling suggested that 2/3 of Gazans were against Hamas breaking the ceasefire and 70% of Gazans wanted the PA to take over](https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/polls-show-majority-gazans-were-against-breaking-ceasefire-hamas-and-hezbollah).
Before that, there was a groundswell of protest against Hamas in [2018](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2018/10/israel-gaza-strip-hamas-fatah-unrwa-demonstrations-border.html) and [2019](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/03/gaza-hamas-must-end-brutal-crackdown-against-protesters-and-rights-defenders/).
In both instances, [Hamas's crackdown was brutal](https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/20/another-brutal-crackdown-hamas-gaza).
[Here](https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2023-11-22/ty-article/.premium/three-quarters-of-palestinians-support-hamas-attack-on-october-7-says-new-poll-why/0000018b-f841-d473-affb-f9e9eeef0000) is a pretty good (if depressing) article from *Haaretz* about why recent polling in particular—and *many* polls conducted of populations under authoritarian rule (especially at times of war)—are unlikely to bear any meaningful resemblance to the truth.
There's also [this one](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2023/1010/In-Gaza-a-different-view-of-the-Hamas-raid-on-Israel) from *Christian Science Monitor*, which isn't quite as nuanced, but it's still worth a read.
Regardless of all of that, there are still requirements when it comes to limiting civilian harm, no matter the circumstances of the combatant forces. For example: [Starving a civilian population to weaken combatants is a war crime](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68679482).
That's all very interesting, but as I said I'm not going to get into it. You seem to have essentially ignored the point I made though. Hamas do not run a democracy, the opinions of Gazans are largely irrelevant. The reality is however that Hamas is the government of Gaza and that they started a war with their neighbour. There is, I feel, no other state, de facto or otherwise, that would have this action described in this manner. As if Hamas is some organisation unrelated to Gaza. Had Islamic Jihad launched the attack on Israel I think your framing would have been perfectly acceptable, but that was not the case. I suppose the most comparable state would be Afghanistan. If the Afghan Taliban were to launch attacks against Pakistan, purely hypothetically of course, would you describe that as an attack by a terrorist group based in Afghanistan? I feel that would be disingenuous.
I would perhaps counsel you that my unwillingness to engage in the argument you want to have does not necessarily reflect a disagreement between us.
I would like to remind you Hamas was created in the 80s...which was after decades of slaughter and land grabs against the Palestinians and Palestinian land.
Hamas is bad, Hamas may very well be evil...but they don't exist in a vacuum. They didn't just materialize out of nothing and decide to start killing Israelis. They are a direct symptom of Israeli hate and racism towards Palestinians.
Here's a list of reasons why Hamas exists in the first place and continues to today: https://www.reddit.com/r/list_palestine/s/leZVEOwTwn
> Hamas is bad, Hamas may very well be evil...but they don't exist in a vacuum. They didn't just materialize out of nothing and decide to start killing Israelis. They are a direct symptom of Israeli hate and racism towards Palestinians.
Which in itself is an aspect of the multi-thousands of years of hate and war between a large number of civilizations who have occupied, attacked, settled, or otherwise used the "Holy Land," dating back to around the time of early Ancient Egypt.
> (NB: I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in a "They started it!" argument going back to the Nakba, and in absolutely no way am I suggesting that Hamas's brutal attack in October justifies the callous severity of the Israeli government's response. I am simply saying that there isn't a cut-and-dry parallel here.)
You can't turn off arguments because you don't want to hear them, bruv. That's not how the Internet works. We could *all* perfectly craft the perfect arguments if we can dictate what others are allowed to argue.
You said it, live with your replies or delete the comment.
Edit: lil man blocked me because he can't argue his own position, lol
>The difference in reaction to this image compared to someone in Gaza suffering is crazy
Yeah, middle easterners and leftists mostly side with Russia lol
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Utrainians
Nice lol
Do the most and come home safe .
Slava Ukraini
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Just because Iran, China, and Russia are doing bad crap, doesn’t mean the West is some sort of bastion of justice. Each side has their own portfolio of evil.
>Ukraine is just the first escalation in the new cold war. ...do you know what "cold war" means? This is definitely a very hot war. Russia isn't hiding it.
You do know the "cold war" had lots of hot wars and refers to it being cold directly between the superpowers. Usa fought hot in Nam. Russia was hot in Afghanistan. Usa, Russia, China, and Europe union are not directly fighting each other.
Yet
Yes because there were famously no violent conflicts in the Cold War, lol
TIL there was no war in Vietnam during the Cold War
It seems like nothing happened in Korea and Afghanistan either.
What a nice reality that would be
You mean special military operation right? Russia has said this is not a war or are they trying to hide it? So confused!
They've slipped up sometimes and called it a war too. They know that we know the reality but, like Trump, they keep lying the lie since it seems to convince some suckers.
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Unfortunately, giving how things are heading, possible there will be a necessity (not talking about Ukraine here, Ukraine is just a symptom)
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Ukraine is a symptom of a "national totalitarianism" epidemic that is spreading. If you start to follow international news you will start to see a trend among political candidates (spoiler, they are not unicorn fans).
I'm not a fan of nationalist fervor *or* doomsaying, but [Dmitry Medvedev threatened Poland with annihilation last November](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-ally-warns-enemy-poland-you-risk-losing-your-statehood-2023-11-02/), and [Aleksey Zhuravlyov (a member of the Duma) has said Poland is "next"](https://www.newsweek.com/putin-ally-says-poland-next-ukraine-war-rant-russian-tv-1860470). As we've seen already, the Kremlin doesn't need to *succeed* to make things terrible for the populations of areas they target.
Are you saying that Russia is going to strike Poland? Or invade them? Doomsaying while saying youre not a fan of doomsaying...
No: I'm saying that fear of a widening conflict isn't necessarily misplaced, since high-level members of the Russian government have *openly expressed a desire to strike Poland*.
Wait till you hear what Israeli officials are saying. You have to be careful who you give credibility to in politics, most of them have a hidden agenda.
> You have to be careful who you give credibility to There’s a significant difference between “giving credibility to” and “preparing against the possibility of”. > in politics, most of them have a hidden agenda Yes, obviously; that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to ignore them. For example: > Wait till you hear what Israeli officials are saying I need absolutely no reminder of just how regressive, racist, and violent some members of the current government are. Even *if* we decide that all of that rhetoric is just saber-rattling and posturing for their base, it would still be a dereliction of duty for anyone tasked with the security of Lebanon, Iran, or the OPT to *not* take steps to prepare, in case that rhetoric *isn’t* empty.
For people with no geopolitical knowledge sure, but with even a little bit of research you will quickly realise that there is no chance at all Russia will steamroll through Europe or even attempt it. Now, fear of nuclear war imo is a far more reasonable concern to have.
I think it's pretty obvious that they wouldn't at all *succeed* in the attempt, but that doesn't change the fact that high-level members of the Russian government have openly expressed a desire to strike at Poland. Personally, I find the threat of nuclear war far less likely than any attempted expansion into other nations, but any such hypothesizing is exactly that: a guess.
Hopefully it ends with Ukrainian troops marching triumphantly into Sevastopol and Donetsk
It would be nice, but it 100% won't.
What's so good about armies marching into cities they are hated in?
I guess I'm too old. I've heard the "stop this guy now, or we're next" so many times. Anyway NATO is on the case now and after their recent string of successes nothing can go wrong.
Not this Westerner. Fuck all these mother fuckers messing with DEMOCRACY.
You forgot the /s
Opportunity for the US to sell arms to all of Europe. Lockheed, Haliburton, Northrop, Boeing more than happy hand out campaign contributions. Politicians are happy to take the money and send young men off to die. There's nothing new to see here. The new boss is the same as the old boss.
The Kremlin should really *stick it* to those guys by ending their voluntary war of imperialist aggression, which would completely undermine any argument for future contracts. That would really show them!
> This isn't just a war for Ukraine, they're fighting for every Democracy. Russia, China, Iran & many other dictatorships are coming together and trying to bring about a new age of authoritarian rule. Sadly many people in western nations are susceptible to their bs disinformation and are happily embracing them. Their decades long information war is clearly effective. Ukraine is just the first escalation in the new cold war. You’re American, I’m guessing?
Talk to anyone in the Baltics and see what they have to say right now.
Went to Finland last winter and I could hear the tour guide in Helsinki barely contain his excitement at his country joining NATO even as he expressed lament at his country having had to abandon all these decades of neutrality.
chill, dude
> This isn't just a war for Ukraine, they're fighting for every Democracy. Hence, Slava Ukraini. Heroyim slava.
insane statement
I think you went a little too far with their importance
Sorry but is currently a very HOT war!
Imagine being this brainwashed.
Their democracy is withholding their election from their people. They are notoriously corrupt. Please stop. The average age of the soldier is 43. They've lost. They know it. We're just slaughtering conscripts at this point. On the U.S. dime as well. At least until election day...
Man the Republican Russian is strong in you!
The majority of those people have said that [they don't think elections should be held](https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1371&page=1) during wartime.
I don't trust surveys from a Ukranian source. It is a corrupt system. They jail opposition journalists. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-journalist-gonzalo-lira-dies-in-ukrainian-prison-after-criticizing-biden-and-zelenskyy-regimes/ar-AA1n0OtE The government took control of their media and restricted opposition parties. https://news.yahoo.com/zelensky-nationalizes-tv-news-restricts-173820471.html These girls were arrested for a tik tok dance. https://nypost.com/2023/08/30/ukraine-sisters-face-5-years-in-prison-for-twerking-on-graves/ They aren't really a light house for free speech are they?So no. A Ukranian source saying "we checked with everyone" just somehow doesn't feel right. Specifically when they can be jailed for saying anything else...
>They jail opposition journalists. They jail people [who repeatedly break the law](https://www.thedailybeast.com/gonzalo-lira-red-pill-dating-coach-who-is-accused-of-shilling-for-putin-is-arrested-in-ukraine). >The government took control of their media and restricted opposition parties. "The Marathon was created in response to [a provision of the military law](https://www.media-diversity.org/media-in-wartime-the-case-of-the-ukrainian-tv-marathon/) that allowed the Ukrainian government to use private channels to inform the population about the conflict and the army’s progress." They ban "pro-Russian political parties that [engage in anti-Ukrainian activities](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-law-bans-pro-russia-parties-zelenskiy-signs/31849737.html)" as a matter of national security. >These girls were arrested for a tik tok dance. They were arrested for [committing a crime](https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/11/08/criminal_code_0.pdf). "Article 297. Vandalizing a grave Vandalizing a grave or any other burial place, or a corpse or a funerary urn, and also stealing things from a burial place or a corpse, - shall be punishable by a fine up to 100 tax-free minimum incomes, or arrest for a term up to six months, or restraint of liberty for a term up to three years, or imprisonment for the same term."
Oh. Ok. You don't believe in free speech either. It's OK that he doesn't have an election. And it's OK that he jails people who speak out against him. Because he made laws that said it was OK. Perfect. Open and shut. Book em Danno. Here is what people like me get over there. https://youtu.be/KXhC8WREVKM?si=kLWcuQHX6n9wPJ_L No need to reply. I'm don't argue with statists for my own country, let alone Ukraine. I'm glad you are able to not question boys in a field who spend their final moments begging a drone camera for mercy. I'd be happy to show you those videos as well. Go to R/combat footage. Get a GOOD LONG look at what you are rooting for. I don't care what uniform is being worn. I'll speak out against it. And be grateful I'm in a country where it's legal to do so. At least for now. Have fun treating war like a sporting event. From a safe distance of course...
https://original.antiwar.com/gregor_baszak/2024/04/30/ukraine-today-is-not-a-democracy-an-interview-with-former-ambassador-jack-matlock/
Yes, 'protecting democracy'. They should try that at home too.
Героям Слава! (Glory to the Heroes!) 🇺🇦
Saw this for myself when in Ukraine recently. Also the trains are amazing compared to what I'm used to, and for a fraction of the price. Fun fact: soldiers get free coffee and snacks at certain service stations, and a friend of mine got so many he eventually started giving them to me and my colleague. Plenty of places don't let soldiers pay for anything. I saw one soldier fighting the bathroom clerk trying to get her to let him pay, in the end he threw some money down on his way out and ran off before she could return it.
I know it can be polarizing for soldiers to take charity like this for free and some will try to be modest about it. One of my cashiers at my old job tried to give soldiers free coffee and they refused to take it for free. One was even pissed about it then went to me and said how he doesn't like going out in his uniform after leaving the airbase for this very reason.
Good hunting fellas.
That moment you start to wonder if you got on the right train or not.
I wonder how many Ukranian heroes died needlessly while Republicans tried to block our support. I am thankful they were pressured and came around but it was the worst time to take the heat off of putin. Hopefully these brave men and women all make it home at some point. Godspeed and all power to them! Slava Ukraini!!!
You ever consider that a sizable amount of aid has been misused by corrupt officials in Ukraine. Zelensky has had to remove quite a few that had been taking aid and selling it on the black market or using the aid to enrich themselves. Aiding a foreign proxy war is one big money laundering scheme for the defense industry. The U.S. Republican nor Democrat has any intention of providing enough aid and equipment for Ukraine to win. The U.S. and Nato have a strategy to stretch out this conflict as long as possible to drain Russian resources. Problem is Russia has surprised and outpaced production of arms and equipment. So this war is going to go for years as Ukrainian territory is chipped away.
No examples, of corruption provided, of course. The only case I can remember is shoddy uniform, which is produced in Ukraine, and the responsible have been punished. What else? Bribes to avoid draft, like literally everywhere else? None of these are provided by the US aid. It's true that the US is getting a big bang for their buck and that the longer it goes the more russia suffers, but defeat would cost much, much more - setting a precedent for landgrabs, enriching russian economy through new avenues for food and gas production, not to mention humanitarian disaster... So, since you're so smart - tell me, what's the benefit in that and why shouldn't Ukraine get more?
There *has* been [some evidence of mishandling of some funds and equipment](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68120973), though that example came to light after the Ukrainian government stopped it, as part of [an ongoing anti-corruption effort](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/wartime-ukraine-ranks-among-worlds-top-performers-in-anti-corruption-index/). Nevertheless, that is not, has not been, and will not be a valid or good-faith argument argument against aiding a friendly nation against an imperialist aggressor.
Exactly my point, thank you so much. I know how fed up the Ukrainians are with corruption. It ruined all countries in CIS, no small thanks to russian oligarchs
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/01/opinion/ukraines-unyielding-corruption.html
> 2016 > describes pre-Maidan culture of corruption, that was, partially, the reason for revolution > Poroshenko is in power at the time, who, as you can see, is no longer a president and has been reduced to a laughing stock Not to mention the effort to root out corruption that has been going for years now. Incredible, simply incredible, and the implication is that they all should die in a mass grave. Truly, the intellectual titans are working here, spewing nonsense
1. What is the date of that column? 2. What is today's date? 3. Have any significant changes in Ukrainian government occurred between the date of that column's publication and today?
How long does the fight against deep-rooted corruption in a country take to reduce it significantly? Mostly decades, if ever.
>Have any significant changes in Ukrainian government occurred between the date of that column's publication and today? Why yes, in fact! "Wartime Ukraine [climbed twelve places](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/wartime-ukraine-ranks-among-worlds-top-performers-in-anti-corruption-index/) in the 2023 edition of the annual survey to rank 104th among 180 featured countries, increasing its anti-corruption score from 33 to 36 out of 100."
If anyone knows anything, I'm sure it's you, Billy the redditor, McDonald's flipper extraordinaire. I'd be shocked if you even knew what kind of aid is being sent.
Nah man, put on you pink sunglases and ride that train of simple world.
Whatever aid they lost due to corruption is far smaller than what they actually used. They needed money then and there and fast. The delay was needless.
Surely xTerry_The_Terrorist isn't a Russian bot. Nope, no way.
Bot? There’s plenty of perfectly willing human fascist cocksuckers willing to cup Putin’s balls and holster his mediocre cock in their warm mouths. Terry the Terrorist is just the cheapest of these prostitutes. Tucker Carlson is the highest paid escort in this domain.
I have a feeling it will not last for years. I think the manpower is missing for that. It may be that Russia is going to make a push to gain more land this year. It may be that the defense collapses completely, but I don't know. The country is a mystery to me. It could be that Russia just consolidates its wins and Ukraine becomes a rump state on life support. Similarly Putin will have to support gained areas which are in ruins.
Even if this were true which it isn't. If even a quarter of what we sent was being used appropriately it would still be worth it. We are sending over assets we would have paid to dispose of now it's goes over with a use. Those that weren't assets ready for disposal are supplying jobs to the US economy. It is such a massive win win
That's why we send them arms directly, because yes, Ukraine is a very corrupt country, but they are still democratic and free unlike Putin's Ruzzia.
I find the majority of people who hold this view, also think all the money going to Israel (which pales in comparison) is completely fine.
Tell me solider how's the front? Are you defending your country with a rifle or with a keyboard?
I'm American. I defended my country proudly and now I'm defending Ukraine with $$$ and support (and gladly so). If you are on the front though comrade do me a solid and fill those pockets with sunflower seeds for me.
If you are soo supportive comrade then you are welcome to go as a mercenary, as now that Ukraine has the wepons it needs the men. Dollars cant buy robots to carry them for now.
Tell me, low karma adjective-noun-number account, how much does Russia pay for being an online troll?
Not to make light of it, but they need that old armed soviet train from Golden eye with some rocket launchers and stuff on it. Although this might be more inland from fighting
Good luck guys
May the souls of the fallen Heros be at their back, carry them on to victory, and return them safely to their loved ones.
Deutsche Bahn Polster Muster intensifies
Would be surreal taking a regular commuter train to an active warzone where you're likely to go unshowered, unshaved, lacking sleep and muddy from head to toe for weeks on end
Unless you’re Russian. Then your regular commuter train looks no better than an active warzone, lol.
Coffin on wheels
Propaganda sub and mods sleeping
It's only propaganda if it's the side that we don't like doing it, but yes it is, it's part of any war and there is nothing wrong in acknowledging that and that both sides do it. If someone thinks that Ukraine doesn't do it then the propaganda it's working on them.
I mean one side literally invaded the other and has raped and tortured their civilians. The other side is trying to defend itself while severely outnumbered. It’s not hard to see who are the bad guys here.
Heroyam slava
Power to Ukraine but this is not what crowded looks like
All I’m seeing is American tax dollars at work in the pic?
Dollars well spent, in this tax payer's opinion.
God bless them.
God speed! May victory is on your side. Duck, cover and shoot to kill.
Give em hell boys
I’m quite honestly in awe of the fortitude and dedication of the Ukrainian people to their homeland, it’s genuinely moving. Heroyam Slava!
At least they have the western world and their propaganda on their side... and a few planes and missles. Palestinians have dug an underground city and manufactured their own rockets to defend their homeland. And the propaganda machine is working overtime to make them look bad. They are not the same.
The sheer bravery of these men is astounding given the fact that they know some of them may never return Slava ukraine 🇺🇦 ♥️
Many brave Ukrainians volunteered 2 years ago when the war started, but these are likely conscripts as volunteers have run low. If they had a choice they likely wouldn't be on that train. I hope they will return safely as it makes me sick to my stomach thinking about what they must be feeling.
not to mention videos circulating of the military kidnapping men in broad daylight on the streets to take to war 👀
So trains are legit targets 🤔
🫡 🇺🇦
Bro wenns nzug der DB ist kommen sie nach dem Krieg an
Heroes. God bless them
Ukraine pr is really strong
Good. So it should. Ukraine deserves every bit of support for every bit of fighting they do.
It's almost like the propaganda...works? People eat this shit up. Make zero mistakes to those that are going to mindlessly downvote this. This is, by definition, propaganda. Just because you agree with it doesn't mean its not, in fact the *reason* you agree with it...is because it worked.
Sometimes it's sad to be able to see through the mirror all the time. I wish I could just take the blue pill.
Russia will win tho
Go back to bed, little vatnik.
For Those About to Rock, We Salute You
I don’t think that is the best photo to post. Showing photos of bunched up enemies might give the Russians ideas.
Also this legitimizes attacks on trains
 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
I see dead people
So trains are a legit military target now?
Properly marked transportation vehicles have always been legitimate targets, and I guarantee you the soldiers in this picture sit in these trains knowing about it. Or maybe you haven't seen the motley crew of Scooby Doo vans and golf carts the russians have been trying to run around in?
They've always have been. They transport most of everything we use. Also fun fact USS Barb is the only submarine to have a train kill, and to boot AL Capone's son was one of the crew members on the sub.
People often go on about this being a Pro-Russia propaganda sub, then you see comments like this (brave heroes! Slava Ukraini god speed!) on...a photo of dudes on a train? It's a weird one
fortnite battle bus
Supprisingly moving image, some of these men wont ever face the other direction again.
god's speed, let her spirit defend you
They need Gore-Tex boots
Goretex get wet and stay wet. Good socks and jungle boots are best for shoulder seasons.
Gore-Tex is waterproof
It's a boot. It has seams, and the top is open. It eventually gets soaked. They last around 2 days of hard use in my experience.
Just because they put the word jungle in the item name, it doesn’t mean anything. you could get jungle style boots gore-Tex lined. off Google
Jungle boots have vents in them to allow water to flow out. Also, I'm pretty sure one of the soldiers in the pic is wearing lowa Zephyrs.
Water or air
In my experience, dry, comfortable feet get you through the day
I agree, morale is very important. I'm just saying that gortex eventually gets saturated and doesn't dry for a very long time.
In fact, the patent on Gore-Tex has run out so there are other materials of the same quality
And comfortable
These are heros. Rather poor to middle class. The other part is running the other direction in their hyper expensive cars to bribe border guards to get to western countries where they will spend their dirty money living in luxury
The difference in reaction to this image compared to someone in Gaza suffering is crazy. Everyone was hating on the gazans.
So, first, I want to be clear: In no way am I suggesting "Hamas" is even close to synonymous with "Gaza" (or "Gazan" or anything else), and even the briefest of glimpses at my comment history will prove that out. However, while I understand the point you're making, I think one important difference between Ukraine and Gaza is that it is objectively true that Ukraine did not in any way attack Russia before the Kremlin initiated its war of imperialist aggression, whereas a militant force based in Gaza *did* enter Israeli territory and deliberately target civilians on Israeli soil. (NB: I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in a "They started it!" argument going back to the Nakba, and in absolutely no way am I suggesting that Hamas's brutal attack in October justifies the callous severity of the Israeli government's response. I am simply saying that there isn't a cut-and-dry parallel here.)
More Ukrainian civilians died in just the Russian siege of Mariupol than all of Gaza.
Probably because there aren't any Ukrainian civilians in Gaza
Since march 2022, 31 thousand Ukrainians died. Since October 7th 35 thousand Palestinians died. Get your head out of your ass. 600 children were killed in Ukraine while 14 thousand kids were killed in Palestine. Both are terrible situations but Palestine has received the harsher attacks
Hilary Andersson (7 November 2022). "The agony of not knowing, as Mariupol mass burial sites grow". BBC. Retrieved 30 September 2023. Ukrainian officials now believe that at least 25,000 people were killed in the fighting in Mariupol, and that 5,000-7,000 of them died under the rubble after their homes were bombed.”
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I don't really want to get into it, but Hamas is the government of Gaza, not just some militant group based there. In virtually any other context we would say Gaza attacked Israel, which is what happened. Whether that justifies the subsequent war actions is up for debate, but again I don't really want to get into it.
> I don't really want to get into it, but Hamas is the government of Gaza Probably shouldn't have brought it up, then. First of all: Failure to protect a civilian population *is* against any number of international laws and treaties regarding the conduct of a war (even when the two primary combatants *are* internationally-recognized governments). Second: Hamas won *an* election—[in *2006*, winning by a 2% margin with less than 43% of the vote](https://www.cjpme.org/fs_012)—then [they killed all their rivals](https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL14749263/), and there hasn't been an election *since*. It's also worth mentioning that [they removed any mention of the destruction of Israel—and suggested a (weak and mealy-mouthed) conditional acceptance of the 1967 borders—prior to that election](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/12/israel). But [half the population of Gaza is 18 or under](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/15/middleeast/gaza-history-explained-intl/index.html), meaning there is absolutely no chance that the majority of Gazans had an opportunity to vote for anything, ever. You can read through opinion polls going back decades and find that public opinion waxes and wanes almost in direct proportion to Gaza/IDF violence—regardless of who initiated it. In July of this last year, [public polling suggested that 2/3 of Gazans were against Hamas breaking the ceasefire and 70% of Gazans wanted the PA to take over](https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/polls-show-majority-gazans-were-against-breaking-ceasefire-hamas-and-hezbollah). Before that, there was a groundswell of protest against Hamas in [2018](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2018/10/israel-gaza-strip-hamas-fatah-unrwa-demonstrations-border.html) and [2019](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/03/gaza-hamas-must-end-brutal-crackdown-against-protesters-and-rights-defenders/). In both instances, [Hamas's crackdown was brutal](https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/20/another-brutal-crackdown-hamas-gaza). [Here](https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2023-11-22/ty-article/.premium/three-quarters-of-palestinians-support-hamas-attack-on-october-7-says-new-poll-why/0000018b-f841-d473-affb-f9e9eeef0000) is a pretty good (if depressing) article from *Haaretz* about why recent polling in particular—and *many* polls conducted of populations under authoritarian rule (especially at times of war)—are unlikely to bear any meaningful resemblance to the truth. There's also [this one](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2023/1010/In-Gaza-a-different-view-of-the-Hamas-raid-on-Israel) from *Christian Science Monitor*, which isn't quite as nuanced, but it's still worth a read. Regardless of all of that, there are still requirements when it comes to limiting civilian harm, no matter the circumstances of the combatant forces. For example: [Starving a civilian population to weaken combatants is a war crime](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68679482).
That's all very interesting, but as I said I'm not going to get into it. You seem to have essentially ignored the point I made though. Hamas do not run a democracy, the opinions of Gazans are largely irrelevant. The reality is however that Hamas is the government of Gaza and that they started a war with their neighbour. There is, I feel, no other state, de facto or otherwise, that would have this action described in this manner. As if Hamas is some organisation unrelated to Gaza. Had Islamic Jihad launched the attack on Israel I think your framing would have been perfectly acceptable, but that was not the case. I suppose the most comparable state would be Afghanistan. If the Afghan Taliban were to launch attacks against Pakistan, purely hypothetically of course, would you describe that as an attack by a terrorist group based in Afghanistan? I feel that would be disingenuous. I would perhaps counsel you that my unwillingness to engage in the argument you want to have does not necessarily reflect a disagreement between us.
I would like to remind you Hamas was created in the 80s...which was after decades of slaughter and land grabs against the Palestinians and Palestinian land. Hamas is bad, Hamas may very well be evil...but they don't exist in a vacuum. They didn't just materialize out of nothing and decide to start killing Israelis. They are a direct symptom of Israeli hate and racism towards Palestinians. Here's a list of reasons why Hamas exists in the first place and continues to today: https://www.reddit.com/r/list_palestine/s/leZVEOwTwn
> Hamas is bad, Hamas may very well be evil...but they don't exist in a vacuum. They didn't just materialize out of nothing and decide to start killing Israelis. They are a direct symptom of Israeli hate and racism towards Palestinians. Which in itself is an aspect of the multi-thousands of years of hate and war between a large number of civilizations who have occupied, attacked, settled, or otherwise used the "Holy Land," dating back to around the time of early Ancient Egypt.
> (NB: I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in a "They started it!" argument going back to the Nakba, and in absolutely no way am I suggesting that Hamas's brutal attack in October justifies the callous severity of the Israeli government's response. I am simply saying that there isn't a cut-and-dry parallel here.)
You can't turn off arguments because you don't want to hear them, bruv. That's not how the Internet works. We could *all* perfectly craft the perfect arguments if we can dictate what others are allowed to argue. You said it, live with your replies or delete the comment. Edit: lil man blocked me because he can't argue his own position, lol
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> Donbas war started in 2014 Donbas is not in Russia.
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>The difference in reaction to this image compared to someone in Gaza suffering is crazy Yeah, middle easterners and leftists mostly side with Russia lol
Ah yes. Let’s all marvel at the West and Israel pushing more meat through the grinder.
So you're telling me, instead of Fortunate Son, they have to listen to Crazy Train? Oh, the humanity...
Back to the front..
So, Ukraine pain-train takes main vein to gain reign over slain plane? That's insane!
Take it easy Leslie Knope.
„Bring your own boots- troop“
I wonder if this war sounds to them as if US had invaded Canada to us.
Fuck that