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

Documentary film maker Adam Curtiss has come out with his latest opus, Traumazone. It’s dives into the decline of the Soviet Union and emerging Russia from 1985-99.

fascinating stuff. Makes the current geopolitical crises all the more tragic. A 7 part series with no narration from Curtiss this time. Going full Eisenstein on this one.

Here’s Part 1



Again, it’s long, nuanced and highlight the contradictions of that period of time. Definitely not for you Jeff. See? I got your back buddy.

An interesting take for a ceasefire. I admit I’m skeptical of it. I think the impasse for a negotiation the author outlined appears accurate though.

‘ The only way Ukrainians will see anything approximating a holiday season is if a ceasefire can be arranged by New Year’s Day, and it just might happen, regardless of President Volodomyr Zelenskiy’s repeated assertions that there will be no negotiations with Russia until it withdraws all its troops from all occupied territories, including Crimea. There are several reasons for the possible ceasefire.
First, the Russian hammer is about to fall on Ukraine. The gloves are coming off; electric energy stations, bridges, and even ‘decision centers’ such as central Kiev’s government buildings are being targeted. Russia is one or two more massive bombing attacks on Ukraine’s energy and transport infrastructure from permanently disabling Ukraine’s electricity, water, and railroad systems. With ‘only’ 50 percent of Ukrainian electricity infrastructure knocked out by the first three widespread bombings of electricity grid components, demonstrations are already breaking out in Odessa and other places over the deteriorating humanitarian situation, with Zelenskiy sending the Ukrainian KGB, the SBU, in to break up the protests and banning coverage in media. The Office of the President was reportedly recently informed by technicians that the electricity system has entered the stage of ‘arbitrary and uncontrolled imbalance,”

The Russian Winter Offensive

I have no confidence the brewing refugee crises can be managed by European governments. Narrative wars are one thing, material crises are another. An avoidable tragedy but good entertainment from far away for some.

No mention of ‘cuz Holdomor!’ though.

Hard pass Jeff, hard pass..

When Russia was forced by the evil Ukrainians to withdraw from Kherson, was the parting volley of hundreds of missiles meant as an effort to further denazify Ukraine on the way out?
I know, the question is beneath you coming from the likes of me, I get that.

But I just wanted to ask because it seems more like the actions of an abusive suitor who throws a vat of battery acid in the face of a woman who spurned his advances, kind of a "If Russia can't have you, no one can" sort of dick move.

But maybe they were trying to take away electricity from all those Nazis.

Yes Jeff, you right. It’s exactly like an abusive suitor throwing acid in the face of of a spurned women.

Putin believed that blowing up the now worthless pipelines via a false flag would put him in a position to further dictate Western EU policy but instead EU figured out how they could survive without his nat gas.
After all, once upon a time they managed to.

China and India can't create enough demand to consume the equivalent of EU demand either and it will take up to ten years to build pipelines to them anyway.
Putin has screwed himself six ways to Sunday and his people know it.

Does someone come by and make you a sandwich for posting this nonsense? You really love propaganda. We get it. You love pointing out your bona fides from your days of working for the Hollywood factories but must you continue it here?

Please provide any findings from any neutral investigation that implicates your Blueanon Lex Luther having blown up his countries major leverage in Europe.

Europe is now buying its fuel from Russia via India (and Turkey). They are paying a premium for the privilege to do so. This hurts European working classes and industrial manufacturing hardest. It’s ruling classes much less. 1 in 4 german companies are considering relocating.

India (and Turkey) becomes the beneficiary of the destruction of N2. India’s also used its windfall of Russian fuel exports to extract discounts from Arab producers. A nice bonus for Indian refiners and distributors.

Gasprom has just announced its largest ever investment in its ‘Power of Siberia’ project which will direct its fuel distribution away from Europe and towards Asia. Specifically China. I’m guessing a more stable market will exist there as opposed to the vassal states of Europe.

My read from industry news is ongoing sanctions are not hurting Russian revenue streams. Perhaps you could produce credible evidence that it has. Please be critical of your sourcing and avoid those issuing Ukrainian regime/US State department talking points. Yellow cake news or Russian Viagra troops, Russian paid Afghan bounties, ghost of Kiev, Bucha massacre, Russian army attacking Russian held nuclear power station, Ukraine is winning, mobile bioweapons labs, Iraq rape rooms, Gaddafi’s viagra fueled troops, Kuwaiti incubator babies thrown on hospital floors, Gulf of Tonkin, etc etc etc fairy tale reporting ain’t gunna cut it.

It’s a never ending stream of BS that some love indulging in.

Oh I see....so they weren't "vassal states" back when Russia erected the Iron Curtain I guess.
No need to fret about a repeat attempt at that once Pooty gets his Ukraine vassal state all squared away, right?

It's funny how a gas station wants to tell people HOW to use its gas and wants to add "conditions" to who gets to buy its gas but then again the world has been getting that same crap from other "gas stations" all along and some of THOSE gas stations get upset enough to fly airplanes into buildings in cities they particularly don't like.

My guess is, there's a big urge to cut back on buying gas altogether.
Won't be easy, won't be cheap but in the end it looks like it's becoming necessary.

Gas stations aren't countries, they're gas stations.

So no sourcing for the wild and irrational claims of Russia (scuse me, Putey Poo) blowing up its own very expensive to build pipeline?

Whadasaprize..

Frankly, your reverse metaphors of the current reality are boring. The European price cap is more akin to you going down to your local gas hole and telling em how much your going to pay them for their gas going forward. Lemme know how that works out. Buy comfortable walking shoes is my advice.

Couldn’t not expend NATO up to Russia’s borders. Couldn’t negotiate a security framework with Russia. Couldn’t agree to allowing Ukraine into Europe but not into NATO. Wouldn’t listen to our own distinguished statesman warning us this is where we were headed.

What’s the Ukraine body count up to now Jeff?

Russia’s a country with its own security interests. You doing McCain now and calling it a gas station won’t change that. Kinda bigoted to boot. You do realize there’s far more hard liners in Russia government than Putin, a moderate in comparison and the millions of Russians have opinion and agency? Kinda like the ethnic Russians living in Donbass that you’ve argued aren’t legitimate with your Holdomor railings? You comically making this all about your Blueanon Lex Luther is telling.

LOL @ "MY" Holodomor railings.
Yeah Lord knows I'm the only guy on the planet that talks about Holodomor.

I guarantee you one thing...when Ukraine finally winds up being Afghanistan II and Russia withdraws in ignomy you better believe they're going to seriously consider NATO membership if for no other reason than there was a promise of security known as the Budapest Memorandum, but Pooty now sez "Look, it was a different time and a different country then so the Big BM doesn't count anymore."

I daresay it doesn't look real good for nonproliferation if you have a country that disarms and then becomes a target of such a threat and a victim of such a threat at the hands of a nuclear-armed country.

So while you're whinging about how Ukraine doesn't deserve to have its agreements honored because .... what was it, Stepan Bandera, let's not forget that there is some degree of regret in giving up nukes for a piece of paper that turned out worthless.

And worthless is exactly what any promise to not join NATO is now as well.
NATO was created to stop Russian encroachment into Europe.
The invasion of Ukraine is Russian encroachment into Europe and the West knows where that leads already because we saw it happen years before you were born.

The free world simply can't afford for Ukraine to fall.
I realize you harbor some hostility toward that.
I just wonder why you live in the West at all, seems contrary to your allegiances.