TurkeyChew

All this egg on Putin’s face, while emotionally satisfying in the moment, seems like just the thing that will fuel a crossing the Rubicon response. Putin might just say screw it; drop the MOAB and let’s all suffer and make it ugly, so it’s not just me.

Now it’s getting real!

If this guy survives this he will live a charmed life. Even if he doesn’t he is guaranteed the capital to be renamed Zelenskyberg, his face on currency, Time’s Person of the Year, Nobel Prize, Guggenheim fellow, MacArthur’s Genius Grant, Pulitzer Prize winner whatever. This guy is inspiring and awesome is what I’m saying.

Sure. I’m just saying there are lessons to be learned as witnesses to this. And what better way to learn than by watching others instead of having to experience it first hand? (Of course most won’t learn until it happens to them, because they think it will never happen to them. There is a reason we are also not keen about giving Russia the SMU death penalty of sanctions).

Ukrainian leadership earning their trip to Valhalla for sure. I am rooting for their St Crispins day, against almost all odds.

Sorry was on a plane all day. I take your point and can appreciate the idealism. When you find yourself in a globalist dynamic so tightly coupled that you can’t respond to a war criminal or help or at least slow down the slaughter of innocents, then what earthly good are you, really? The fact that most European countries are sitting around “like, well, um, I mean I would of course, but we can’t tank our economy…maybe if we can still buy Russian _____, then we can sanction everything else?” shows you that their level of global interconnectivity is irresponsible. If you can’t weather a few fiscal quarters without your JIT global imports, that’s a failure— and America is no exception. IMO, It’s akin to being the provider of your family and not having a 6 month savings of expenses for emergencies— it’s irresponsible leadership.

This is why a segment of the population were disgusted with NATO and other alliances and accords and wanted out or a more limited role; America ends up funding (in money, supplies, people, etc.) and paying the lion share because the rest of the body politic are, as you said, varying degrees of flacid. Its like America always has to do 90% of the group project but everyone else who barely shows up or helps gets the A and thinks they are smart. In this instance America is saying, someone else lead and y’all do the work, I’m going to sit back and either a) Europe doesn’t really care about Ukrainians and see them as others/Russians/outside of la familia or b) they are as spineless and financially compromised as we’ve always thought they were. To me this is a black eye on globalism and shows you why you should have sovereignty built around your national strengths, so you have the autonomy and integrity to do what you want.

Spot on.

I was responding to Europe’s pork belly requests and their self-looking views on SWIFT/sanctions. Does my post make more sense now, knowing that?

I said this in another thread, but you had to expect that Putin had the greed of other nation states in his calculus before invading. He had to bet that the "West" views Ukraine as inferior and second-class and money/business would outweigh any morality or sentiment to what is essentially Russians in Russia Jr. in how legacy Europe views Ukraine. They view Ukraine like they do Turkey. They aren't in the family and never will be.

No snark, just saying that there are some analysts who think that a secondary or tertiary reason for invading is practicality with grain/ag. Here is something I just read when I googled it because I can't find the original source I read but will try to dig that one up too: https://steadystate.org/putin-the-practical-wants-ukraine-grain/

I have actually read some analysis that Putin does want Ukraine for the grain and agriculture to feed people. It's not a crazy tweet, if those reports are remotely true.

I agree. He had to bet that the "West" views Ukraine as inferior and second-class and business would outweigh any moral/sentiment to what is essentially Russians in Russia Jr. Europe views Ukraine like they do Turkey. They aren't in the family and never will be.

This is where I am today as well. Rooting for the Ukraine soldiers to go beast mode and have their St. Crispin's Day moments and encourage/inspire us all, but not our circus or monkeys right now. Europe needs to handle their own backyard and seems to be (slowly) moving to do so?

I think the US is also not keen on banning Russia from SWIFT, unless you guys have read something changed in the last four hours (and it clearly might have changed).

Saw this from NYT today: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/nyregion/trump-ny-fraud-investigation.html The Manhattan district attorney’s inquiry into Donald Trump appears in doubt. The two prosecutors leading the office’s investigation into the former president’s business practices have resigned, The Times reports. The moves came after Alvin Bragg, the new district attorney, expressed doubt about moving forward with the case.

I thought that Russia was taken off SWIFT in the first sanctions, actually, but that it didn't matter in the short term due to Russia preparing for it for years. Just googled looks like there was a "back-tracking" on it: "Yet for all the aggressive posturing, the U.S. coalition has seemingly backtracked on SWIFT, deciding not to block Russian access to the international payments communication system. Pundits have come to refer to SWIFT sanctions as “the nuclear option.” But some policy experts say this characterization is wildly overstated, arguing instead that SWIFT sanctions wouldn’t be nearly as effective as those directly targeting Russian banks. So why are sanctions against Russian banks still on the table, while cutting off SWIFT access has been deemed a step too far? There’s a simple answer: Removing Russian access would constitute an economic shock that U.S. politicians and corporations would rather not instigate." https://www.protocol.com/policy/russia-swift-sanctions-ukraine

I never liked the taste or to eat Octopus anyways, but after watching this I was convinced they are alien plankton or barnacles that fell to earth from the bottom of an alien scout ship.

Do you even multiverse in quantum mechanics theory, uh, bro?

I agree with everything you just said. I guess I took exception to your saying this: "Parents should be stepping up to pull their own weight, not take their money elsewhere because them publics are so scary. Stop being a pussy."

I usually enjoy your takes and ideas Slorch, but I couldn't disagree with you more on your position on public schools. If you have the privilege to homeschool or private school and choose to do so, you are not a wuss or otherwise worse than those who choose not to. Freedom as a parent to dictate how you educate your children is a good thing.

I would participate in the books talk more as well if it were more accessible.

It's 100% luck in my opinion, now that I think about it. Timing has to line up like Indiana Jones and the staff and the sun, or you have to be lucky that the broken brain you were born with (we are all born with something broken), just so happens to be aligned with being a billionaire. I call that last bit of luck, the Warren Buffett effect, but there are hundreds of non-celebrity multi-millionaires and billionaires in high finance whose flavor of autism brought them their fortunes.

Try me. I want to understand your point even more because the way you posted it, it would seem like you think it's as obvious as the nose on a face, and I'm at a loss.

In order to obtain that level of wealth I think you need to already begin adult life as half nuts in the head (and wholly lucky).