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World News
Jan 29, 2022 15:07:05 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Jan 29, 2022 15:07:05 GMT -5
About the charge that NATO "betrayed" Russia... can we acknowledge that Russia betrayed the 1991 agreement to not violate the sovereignty of its neighbours who chose democracy? As Putin is standing at the door of the very country he already violated? It's amazing how people can be so convenient with the blind spots. Dude ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ. Russia broke its word.
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Post by agentf on Feb 1, 2022 15:52:50 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Feb 9, 2022 4:29:28 GMT -5
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World News
Feb 13, 2022 23:50:17 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Feb 13, 2022 23:50:17 GMT -5
Days have passed in the impasse, and contrary to the Ambassador Bridge, the Ukraine question will not end in a whimper. I share Finland's view, in the link below. But this is what my crystal ball says. It says you can expect the diametrically opposed outcome of WW2. Why? Because the odds are slim that Russians will fight with the same courage as then; that they will have allies, or win for that matter. However, the Russians won't be betrayed or maligned. They will just candidly and openly be resented as before and in time, less. We're in the upside down world, too, says my crystal ball. Should anyone convince this time the Russians to stay home and let the Europeans carry on with this time the economic enemy within, as an easier way to conquer later through less strenuous efforts, it would signal a more philosophical Russia. A less angry Russia. A wiser Russia. But I think its leader has a more personal agenda this time than his WW2 predecessor and it's one reason the endeavour will fail. Sometimes when you lose, you win. And when you win, you lose. The New York Times: Finland's President Knows Putin Well. And He Fears for Ukraine.. www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/world/europe/ukraine-russia-finland-sauli-niinisto-putin-nato.html
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Post by agentf on Feb 14, 2022 7:33:40 GMT -5
To be fair, I was also yesterday reading about the "Great Game": wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08BISHKEK1095_a.htmlThe Great Game harkens to some old imperial competition. Days have passed in the impasse, and contrary to the Ambassador Bridge, the Ukraine question will not end in a whimper. I share Finland's view, in the link below. But this is what my crystal ball says. It says you can expect the diametrically opposed outcome of WW2. Why? Because the odds are slim that Russians will fight with the same courage as then; that they will have allies, or win for that matter. However, the Russians won't be betrayed or maligned. They will just candidly and openly be resented as before and in time, less. We're in the upside down world, too, says my crystal ball. Should anyone convince this time the Russians to stay home and let the Europeans carry on with this time the economic enemy within, as an easier way to conquer later through less strenuous efforts, it would signal a more philosophical Russia. A less angry Russia. A wiser Russia. But I think its leader has a more personal agenda this time than his WW2 predecessor and it's one reason the endeavour will fail. Sometimes when you lose, you win. And when you win, you lose. The New York Times: Finland's President Knows Putin Well. And He Fears for Ukraine.. www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/world/europe/ukraine-russia-finland-sauli-niinisto-putin-nato.html
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Post by agentf on Feb 17, 2022 6:46:33 GMT -5
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World News
Feb 19, 2022 13:31:55 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Feb 19, 2022 13:31:55 GMT -5
If 700k pro-Russians in Ukraine holding new Russian passports have been evacuated to Russia, why not close the door behind them and withdraw their claim to Ukrainian residency or citizenry? Wouldn't it be good riddance for Ukraine's government, that they've left the territory? They want to be Russians, live in Russia! As for the movements between Donbass and Russia, of military equipment while still on official Ukrainian territory, why not pass a law to dismantle the infrastructure that is facilitating that? I'm no expert, as always, but it seems there are ways to optimize on some of the moves being made to infiltrate and intimidate - assert your sovereignty.
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Post by agentf on Feb 21, 2022 22:06:28 GMT -5
It's hardly the time for levity, forgive me, but it was pointed out these soldiers were actually relieving themselves for the camera. Talk about invasive journalism!! ๐
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Post by agentf on Feb 24, 2022 8:37:21 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Feb 25, 2022 9:01:44 GMT -5
Watching this poignant broadcast of the former Ukrainian leader, vowing to defend his country on the ground...: ...first, I wondered where the private contractors are and why we weren't hearing of "fires" at Russian nuclear plants ๐ค or were those never attributable to the US....? Then I looked up the lovely chocolate king and in doing that, made perhaps a personal discovery as to the origin of much torment: He and HM share a bank, as it were, but the personal part comes from being mistaken for anything else than a bored and frustrated online chatter and writer who uncovered historical dirt and poked fun at the "Geldsheins". (Vous รชtes graves, les lolos. Il faut se faire voir par qqun!?!)
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World News
Feb 27, 2022 10:05:47 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Feb 27, 2022 10:05:47 GMT -5
Taking a side trip this morning, as news of a meeting at the Ukraine-Belarus border is looming, I was looking up the words of a wiseman. Nostradamus speaks of an invasion in 2022, but on the basis of famine in the aggressor country. Might this be what lies beneath? When we can all see what the melting ice shelf is doing to Russian farmland? ๐ค www.csis.org/analysis/climate-change-will-reshape-russia If this is the case, cooperation - not war - is necessary.
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World News
Feb 28, 2022 11:07:46 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Feb 28, 2022 11:07:46 GMT -5
It seems Nostradamus was not helpful after all, we've gone straight to the nuclear part of the prophecies. Smh. Boy, you can't always take things the wrong way ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ Everyone needs to take a chill pill and step back, which hopefully is what's happening at the talks. Look at Africa! Look at their junior G-4! THIS is how you keep a relationship with your former satellites! You cultivate your own cozy society among like-minded cousin nations. Don't cast adrift a good, historic relationship by driving Ukrainians farther away. Stop this nonsense. So much money and resources will be wasted, in digging a deeper rabbit hole, than could be redirected in modernizing food production; making lands more climate-resilient; and in a more just distribution of foodstuffs; a leveling of food prices, etc. Putin has one speed. He cannot do humble or team player, so let's not try. It has served him for years. He can't switch to say: hey, we're in trouble, we need help. Pfffftt. Will never happen. He said something about how when the wall came down, respect from the West didn't follow. It seems no one in the end is able to climb down from their high horse. Being braggards will always spoil a good show of forgiveness. How I wish the pope and the patriarch would take these leaders aside and let them speak freely, without the bravado. Women know that men when the peanut gallery is on them, become unrecognizable in their behaviour because they're playing for their respective audiences. Just. Step. Back. ๐๐ผ
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Post by agentf on Mar 5, 2022 5:06:08 GMT -5
I'm going to try to expand on what I was saying earlier, just in case the first ten days stretch longer. What I was suggesting was that, in order to keep the war local, it was on Ukraine itself that a third nation would have to declare "war" albeit a "friendly" war where it would be convened with the Ukrainian leadership to temporarily relay power so that the no.3 could take over fighting the invasion and repel the aggressor. It's risky, but this way, the war remains defensive from Ukraine and not offensive from the West. Capisce?
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Post by agentf on Mar 8, 2022 19:44:25 GMT -5
Bravo Gigi Hadid for donating her Paris Fashion Week earnings towards Ukrainians & Palestinians. ๐๐ผ๐๐ผโฅ๏ธ
Bravo also to Mila Kunis for donating and raising an extra $15 million at last count. ๐๐ผ๐๐ผโฅ๏ธ
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Post by agentf on Mar 10, 2022 9:20:51 GMT -5
Palestinians won't mind the sanctions on the man who was bankrolling Israeli illegal settlements, Roman Abramovich. Meanwhile, in Africa where nations are not condemning Putin but rather seeing Russia as a collaborator, perhaps they might consider that most food in humanitarian aid is actually produced by Europe's bread basket - Ukraine! If Ukraine is pulverized, famine will be far worse. I am seriously leaning towards the theory of food security as a motive for war; I think the pandemic and climate change have seriously jeopardized food access by Russia and its African client countries as well as in the Mideast, and that instead of allowing Ukraine to thrive thanks to its rich soil, there was a decision to take it by force, all the while thinking this would be easy. Other motives involve appropriating basins of black gold. I don't really think NATO was the pressing concern. www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-54237970www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/10/putin-india-brazil-south-africa-eritrea-belarus/
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World News
Mar 10, 2022 12:50:31 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Mar 10, 2022 12:50:31 GMT -5
Another beautiful gesture, in the vein maybe of chef Josรฉ Andrรจs of World Central Kitchen who barely needs introduction anymore for his amazingness, this time it's from restauranteurs like Keith McNally of NYC's Balthazar's. pagesix.com/2022/03/09/keith-mcnally-helps-raise-100000-for-children-in-ukraine/On a lighter note, I have a personal anecdote about the place. I was once left eating alone by my table-hopping friend and found myself being in the sightlines of the next booth where Michael Douglas was sitting with about three women. I had to hold my cup to my face and raise my other hand with whatever dessert I was having, I was so petrified. The staff were SOOOO nice and addressed me in French the entire time and soon came to fill my friend's momentary lapse in manners. Bless Balthazar's ๐๐ผ.
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Post by agentf on Mar 12, 2022 17:43:41 GMT -5
Will one country not sever itself from NATO, to go in to help Ukrainians? Is no country's army confident they could take this on? 1:10 ratio of soldiers is definitely not a fair fight. Is Crimea not a good theater to draw the Russian army away? There is unfinished business there, with the illegal annexation. It's 8 years late, I know. So many questions. My question to Putin: what about his children's future? Does he only care about himself, to not consider them after he's gone? If he can't be moved by the children of others... How far back is he setting his family, going forward? So many oligarchs have adopted lives where surely it's been evident to them that people outside Russia are warm, welcoming, peaceful and don't ruminate obsessively about Russia. Putin would be hypocritical to say he didn't enjoy American music or things foreign. But this display of punishing needlessly the former "proliteriat" is like watching a Communist snake eat its own tail. If there is an inner conflict between coveting the honest carefreeness of those who chose freedom or living a lie in Russia, it isn't the fault of Ukrainians. Instead, it's because someone is stuck. Stop. Just stop. . . . {*Update: speculation about his health: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10606487/Is-Putin-suffering-roid-rage-Spies-suggest-bloated-appearance-drugs-effect.htmlWhen I "meditated" on the topic a few weeks ago, I got back my dear friend who I helped nurse through pancreatic cancer. So, if anything, my bet would be that Putin's brush with Covid exacerbated issues with his pancreas. I'm just throwing that out there. Having said that, my friend was an MD though I can't recall his specialty now. He was my darling old neighbour Dr V. Weinberg, a fixture in my dining room, art and wine collector. (RiP)}
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Post by agentf on Mar 13, 2022 9:18:46 GMT -5
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Post by agentf on Mar 15, 2022 4:02:01 GMT -5
More on Abramovich. Apparently the oligarch was inherited by Putin: www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60736185He was spotted in Tel-Aviv before a decoy jet left for Turkey. My guess? He's going to be Juan Carlos's neighbour... What's more, his London house is on the Crown Estates.
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Post by agentf on Mar 15, 2022 17:19:07 GMT -5
This. On the list of Canadians sanctioned by Russia. I'm having a case of shadenfreude. ๐ฅ
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