Discussions on difficult subjects

[Csar]

damn you russia

I seriously really hope that any of the fans living near Ukraine or in Ukraine are ok right now. Things are really escalating quickly and lets all pray that this doesn't worsen. Let's also be aware of the families and all the civilians that are living during these attacks. So, stay safe all of you Chemical Brothers , sisters and siblings and let's hope this doesn't go to shit.

Zesty

Vladimir Putin is a fucking shithead. That's not news, but it cannot be stated often enough.

^seconded
This makes me incredibly angry. Damn, it's 2022, not 1922 - so I thought.

[satur8]

Vladimir Putin is a fucking shithead. That's not news, but it cannot be stated often enough.

Same for Trump, who is publicly siding with him.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-joe-biden/index.html

And while we're at it, same for his followers and supporting media outlets...

This is all terrible news.

[Bosco]

meanwhile, coverage in America...

https://twitter.com/nuffsaidny/status/1496904803854663680

[Bosco]

Absolutely trivial:

Seeing all this talk about the Klitschko brothers preparing to defend Ukraine, reminds me that Tom and Ed met up with Vitali Klitschko (Former Heavyweight boxer and now Mayor of Kyiv), just a couple of years back. Think it was part of a music festival they played... I know there's photos.

[kosek]

I know there's photos.

View this post on Instagram

[Born In Planet Dust]

meanwhile, coverage in America...

https://twitter.com/nuffsaidny/status/1496904803854663680

I saw this, jfc CNN.  I suppose they could do worse though...

https://www.mediamatters.org/russias-invasion-ukraine/one-most-disgraceful-hours-fox-news-history?fbclid=IwAR38zAgDAGaoV6P79e-q-SxvcgKECVzSG0D4ef5nCJ3zVwbaduFKJCxDufg

[Born In Planet Dust]

"Russian warship, go fuck yourself" may be the quote of 2022.  So sad.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/25/ukraine-soldiers-told-russians-to-go-fuck-yourself-before-black-sea-island-death

[UltimatePelmeni]

damn you russia

I'm really ashamed of the deeds of our president and i can confidently say that most of russians don't want to fight with our neighbours. We are against this war!

Peace to all the innocent ukranian brothers and sisters who are suffering now because of this conflict.
Love is all.

[MadPooter]

There's a certain amount of this that is unreal, watching the destruction, the lies, and the terrible politics of it all.

My heart goes out to everyone there.

And fuck this war.

[Conn6orsuper117]

Don't ever hate the people, Hate the leader, all the younger people go out and fight battles while the old cower behind a desk throwing children grade insults.

War doesn't only affect us when it's happening, it also affects us years after. My great uncle (biodad's side) lost his life in Vietnam, my dad said grandpa didn't eat for days, bordering starvation. My mom's dad wasn't very open about the American-Korean War but I knew it affected him quite a bit.

Wish we could all sit down, and talk like true Adults, and we don't stop talking until we know we truly worked it out

[ThePumisher]

So are we going to have a nuclear war now that Putin puts his nuclear forces on alert? What is wrong with this dude?

[satur8]

I'm really ashamed of the deeds of our president and i can confidently say that most of russians don't want to fight with our neighbours. We are against this war!

Peace to all the innocent ukranian brothers and sisters who are suffering now because of this conflict.
Love is all.

My friends and I were overwhelmed with respect for the Russian people taking to the street in protest, especially knowing how dangerous this can be ANYWHERE, let alone there right now. I can't speak for "the rest of the world", but those of us who are thinkers not only stand with Ukraine, but are also empathetic for those who are victims by association: we know this is not the will of the Russian people. Stay safe.

[whirlygirl]

My brothers and sisters, I love you and am thinking of you especially our siblings in Ukraine 🇺🇦 As well as those who have taken to the streets in Russia to protest against a madman.

Love is all.

[Wolkenkrabber]

So are we going to have a nuclear war now that Putin puts his nuclear forces on alert? What is wrong with this dude?

Maybe this Politico article from Monday will cheer you up? Or maybe not.
'Yes, He Would': Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes
The stuff about Litvinenko - poisoned by Polonium 210, was a BIG story in the UK, but I wonder if it was covered anyywhere else?  "...polonium was spread all around London at every spot that poor man visited", yes, including a shisha cafe in London's Trocadero Centre - a place I had been in more than once - which made me think.  More recently the Skripals poisoned by Novichok (in Salisbury) was also a big story here. Did it get covered elsewhere, I wonder?

And keeping a UK-ish slant on this stuff (I guess that's the media I'm exposed to), it's interesting that the former wife of a Putin minister has donated £2 MILLION to PM Boris Johnson's Tory Party since 2012. Perhaps that's why the UK has gone a little softer with its sanctions than other countries.
Sky News: Lubov Chernukhin's donations

[ThePumisher]

Maybe this Politico article from Monday will cheer you up? Or maybe not.

"And he has put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert."

That's a good read, but it won't cheer me up even though it's also not downer.

I've read in a german newspaper something we all may have forgotten about. Can't find the link right now. It says that Russian military as well as US-American military always have nuclear forces on alert, even after the end of the cold war. Both sides always at any time have Submarines and Aircrafts carrying nuclear weapons on patrol, well mostly the Submarines, but anyway. So the danger of an nuclear attack is always present - it's just one single order or one click away. Remember during Cuba crisis were we where just 5 seconds away from a nuclear war because Russia has had a missile detection system failure or something that showed a US nuclear missile flying to Russia and they had the order to immediately start a counterstrike? And it was just one russian soldier who had to push the button but he hasn't because he couldn't believe theres a nuclear missile coming to his country? And he was right, and that results in not starting the nuclear war. But such situations always could come back and at one point maybe theres a soldier with less nerves and an itchy finger. So, coming back with what Putin has said (that he puts his nuclear deterrence forces on high alert) is just a way to let the world know that he is willing to use them if he sees the necessary in - the forces themself have always been on alert. And so are the US forces.
I don't know whats with the other states that have nuclear weapons - UK, France, China, India, Israel & Pakistan, but i don't think that they've need long time to activate them. And then, to make things even more worse or complicated, there's that freak from North Korea...
Still fingers crossed for not having that. Just when you thought it couldn't get any more worse than 2020 & 2021

[Bosco]

To steal a quote, Fats Domino spinning in his grave right now

[MadPooter]

To steal a quote, Fats Domino spinning in his grave right now

Oahn Bloohberree heel.

[Wolkenkrabber]

So are Russian people aware that Russian troops shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant earlier this week? Europe is lucky not to have a readioactive cloud worse than Chernobyl above it right now.
https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-invasion-europes-biggest-nuclear-power-plant-on-fire-after-coming-under-attack-from-russian-troops-12556976

I'm reading that Facebook, twitter, the BBC and other "western" media have been blocked by Russian auttorities. Do VPNs get around the problem? I understand that some Russian media organisations are also closing down:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/04/media/russia-media-crack-down/index.html

Do Russian people realise the extent of the destruction taking place in Ukraine at the moment, or the threat to European and World peace?
Putin is calling the Ukranian invasion a "military operation" or words to that effect? Well it's a war. Pure and simple.

I guess Putin must really hate the media because even the Press are being shot at:
https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-teams-harrowing-account-of-their-violent-ambush-in-ukraine-this-week-12557585

Matt Frei (formerly BBC, now UK Channel 4) said something this morning which seemed to be a fair summation:

The best scenario Russia can hope for is: to the victors a landscape of rubble, a disobedient enraged Ukranian population, economic meltdown at home, pariah status abroad. A very hollow Greater Russia, relying -if lucky- on China. And then what?

Others have asked "where is the 'off-ramp'? How does Putin save face if things don't go well for him?" Ukraine aren't going to become like tamed horses and happily submit to Russia. But how can he pull out now without looking like he lost? So he'll keep going like a psychopathic murderer. Murdering civilians, destroying cities. And for what?

https://twitter.com/HromadskeRadio/status/1500050705108934658
https://twitter.com/globalhlthtwit/status/1500089102368129025
https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1500026179222482946
https://twitter.com/sarahrainsford/status/1499858482060742658
https://twitter.com/BBCRosAtkins/status/1499658290162282496

I see that a Republican US senator, Lindsey Graham asked a couple of days ago "Is there a Brutus in Russia?" That's perhaps an irresponsible thing for a US politician to say. But at the same time, if the news reported tomorrow that someone had bumped off the Agressor-in-Chief, I would probably breathe a sigh of relief (same for the North Korean guy, come to think of it).

When I saw this tweet below a few days ago, I thought it was perhaps a bit patronising. And of course it's easy to encourage others to do the dirty work when you're at a safe distance. But I'm so angry at this gangster currently threatening European and World peace that I'm not sure I care about being polite right now. He's got to go.

https://twitter.com/bmay/status/1498724486597816327

If it's not safe for our Russian forumites to comment, then obviously please don't comment.

Oh, PS a fun one, for some positivity:
https://twitter.com/VeraMBergen/status/1498814410911006723
Tweet Error (does not exist)?  Yes it does.

[satur8]

We are against this war!

UlimatePelmeni, I hope it is not rude to ask, but can you elaborate more on the situation as you see it? I mean, I understand it's not fair to ask you to be our reporter...and maybe you CAN'T discuss in detail....but for this international group, you are on the inside and clearly many of us care and are on the same page.

Is your internet access still "open", and is the media coverage severely different than what you can read? Do you feel most people understand this is an invasion as compared to exercises? Do you guys know your captured troops are confused? Does any support of the state seem to be generational, or is it the tech-savy vs the old fashioned? Are Russian people feeling the affects of international sanctions, or is this information being hidden? An impression I've read is that many Russian people, including troops, are being lied to or don't understand what is happening. It seems that you do and might be able to provide insight.

Can you discuss further without sacrificing your safety and mental health?

You have my full apology if this is inappropriate. You spoke up initially and would have many listeners. I thank you for your time. We are not here to judge you, but to support you while standing against these current actions of your government.

[satur8]

I see that a Republican US senator, Lindsey Graham asked a couple of days ago "Is there a Brutus in Russia?" That's perhaps an irresponsible thing for a US politician to say.

This was hugely irresponsible, and Lindsey Graham is not known for thinking before he speaks. He is also not known for his moral conviction, compassion, or intelligence, as is the same with many in his party. Hell, I'm sure it was painful for some of them and their pundits to openly support Putin and Trump and then have to edit their public opinion because the nation and the world came together in solidarity.