Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Foreign Policy & News The long and winding road to Dumbass

All too often with humans there are no good choices.

I don’t know how we have survived as a species…

Who’s this ‘we’?

The civilized world. This IS WWIII, and we need to recognize that.

Putin is a psychopath and megalomaniac. Platitudes won't change that. I'm no war monger, but I can see reality. Do you think Putin will stop at the Donbas, or all of Ukraine? Did Hitler? Did Stalin? What do you think this war is about?

Pffftt… I’m not a war monger but HITLER!!!

The bones and guts just got scraped off the tarmac of the Kabul airport from our last neocon clusterf#ck and there running their next program of military adventurism in the Ukraine.

Fancy lad boobs like Kagan and Frum who probably don’t have a clue how to change their motor oil (they’ll always have a serf do it) but have the unjustified confidence in their ‘full spectrum global dominance’ convictions and competence. Not at all megalomaniac.

This war in the Ukraine is a long neocon project to Balkanize the former Soviet Union and Russia in particular. After which the lane will be free to go after China will be my guess.

I’ve always wondered about that Russiagating propaganda and in light of what’s been unfolding, I’m convinced, besides saving a candidates face for an awful campaign performance, it was being used to shape public perceptions for the long game of Russia’s Balkanization.

I have no doubt the Crystals, Kagans, Applebaums, Blinkens etc have the largest war boners for WW3. Probably why our State department refused to negotiate a security agreement back in December and the start of this thread. Why is the state department always stocked with neocon children of Eastern European descent? No end of trouble from them with their old world family grudges.

The problem with that ‘all gas, no brakes’ approach is your just as likely to drive into a telephone poll as you are at maintaining your illusions of ruling the world.

Lo-test is running at $4.35, Diesel’s at $5.50. Foods only got one way to go now.

Can’t wait for the China second act.

"We could potentially see the loss of more than 7 million barrels per day of Russian oil and other liquids exports, resulting from current and future sanctions or other voluntary actions," said OPEC's Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo, Reuters reported, citing a copy of his speech.

"Considering the current demand outlook, it would be nearly impossible to replace a loss in volumes of this magnitude," Barkindo told the EU, per Reuters.

OPEC has told the EU it's 'nearly impossible' to replace Russian oil


The fact that OPEC has to tell the EU the realities of what their sanctions have done to themselves speaks volumes about the competency of the EU politicians.

No, I don’t think these fancy lads gave much thought to the consequences of sanctioning a G20 commodities super power. One would think the first question asked would be if you need what they have more than they need what you have.

It would appear that Austrian chancellor Nehammer came up empty with his hoped for secret meeting with Putin. It’s widely rumored that the trip was done at the request of German chancellor Scholz. It’s looking like some leaders in Europe are getting nervous about what’s been done in the last few weeks of sanctions. Maybe destroying their economies for US neocons wasn’t such a good idea and they are looking to get off the crazy train? If so, I think it may be to late. Too much speed now to jump.

My observation is that suddenly high fuel costs and inflation in general are initiated by “investor” speculation. That starts the dominoes falling for real inflation.

It’s a natural progression when an economy is based primarily on money and gambling and not on real things. We have a culture best summed up in one word… MOAR!

My question: Is this an incurable human psychological disorder?

It’s clear in many cases that mistakes/bad choices were made in several recent U.S. wars, most obviously the invasion of Afghanistan on the pretext of “getting” Bin Laden via military might, and the even more stupid invasion of Iraq “just cuz” - a stunningly close parallel to Putin’s invading Ukraine (Project for a New American Century ring any bells?)

What the appropriate U.S. response to Putin’s actions should be is not so clear, and the three general choices available all have serious downsides - sanctions, full scale war, or let him take what he wants. Negotiations are a thought exercise only, given that Putin is an unapologetic aggressor with a goal of conquest - the forgone outcome would be #3 above.

Ok, you want the problem solving strategy session discussion. Fine. I’ll go along though having one makes little difference to this reality unfolding and the battle to win it. what’s real being waged right now in the western media.

Bearing in mind most everyone here is talking in Hollywood narratives, IMO, in one of the worst information environments. In short, which Putin are we talking about. Russiagaters ‘Vlad the election impaler’, neocons Vlad is Hitlerstalin and must be destroyed? Or is it Chicken Noodle News Putin, a bumbling incompetent when it comes to modern ware fare. Has suffered more loss from NATO’s proxy, Ukraine, than they did fighting Field Marshall Manstein in the same space of time during the Second World War? Or will we confine it to anything that’s verifiable and tied to reality? First hand diplomatic accounts, political agreements, etc..

How about the third choice of your framed 3 choices? What did Putin publicly state to the world on the eve of invasion?

Knowing what someone wants should be understood before you can have an opinion?

I watched Putin's speech. It reminded me quite a lot of the BushCo regime's sales pitch for invading Iraq.

Did you get some other sense from what he said?

No. When did he say regime change in his speech? Please be specific.

I heard him say denazify and demilitarize. Im not much interested in senses. I’m paying attention to the ground realities and unambiguous statements.