Nothing in the short term I’m guessing. They are cannon fodder anyway, and I doubt the Russian court system will bend in any direction but the military.
Stuff like that though is bad juju for an army. Seriously. Roman legions turned against beloved commanders over less; when you start messing with the pay for soldiers in combat, bad things happen. Not every soldier is going to die, despite the losses Russia is facing. The majority will survive and eventually, whether in the military or back in civilian life, the lack of pay and all that goes with it will finally catch up to everyone.
There is something psychologically triggering I think about the combination of war, stress, a feeling of being abandoned, and to top it all off the ultimate middle finger, not even following through on the pittance the state promises you for risking your life. It’s not the money per se I’m thinking, it’s the utter contempt the lack of pay displays.
Didn’t that most recent defenestration involve an official responsible for military finances?
“Marinated and strangled by the bureaucracy” is a great subtitle for a lot of war failures through the centuries.
Right. China wants a Russia that will bend the knee, which is separate from Macron’s point of view of wanting a Russia that is punished and deterred, but not broken, which is the prevailing view of the centre-left.
The most immediate problem is you have no idea what happens once a country collapses. There is no predetermined outcome. The Chinese are a lot of things, but they are not stupid.
To hear the British tell it, Gaddafi panicked after the invasion of Iraq and called the British and told them he’d play ball with whatever they wanted.
That doesn’t mean we trusted him, or that we didn’t want him dead though.
But I don’t understand Strollens argument at all. Exchanging Saddam for AQI and ISIS, dominoing Syria in the process, launching a regional war between Qatar, Iran and Saudi, and creating entirely new armies of terrorists is hard not to see as an exceptional own goal.
Rumors of a “high level” US unannounced visitor to Ukraine today.
Sec Blinken is in Turkey, and VP Harris is on topic in Munich
If Russian million conscripts aren’t successful they can ask Belarus for help. Dude from Belarusian high command says they have 2 million soldiers and the best AA capabilities in Europe.
(Belarus had 9 million people not so long ago, before hundreds of thousands fled the country)
They say Biden is in Kiyv. Cool.
Russian media is very interested in Ohio problems. Here’s what Solovyev (the biggest media personality in Russia) just posted (not his words, a repost from one of his friends):
The senile Grandpa Bidon came to [untranslatable pejorative meaning Ukraine] even though he has a Chernobyl-level environmental disaster unfolding in Ohio. Clearly shows his priorities - junkie pig Zeleboba is much more important to him than his own citizens.
Edit: I’m sorry, I can’t get enough of Russian independent political analysts.
Biden visits Kiev not because he is so brave, but because his enemy Putin is so honest and civilized. Biden can safely visit Kiev because he is sure that Putin will keep his word and Biden will not be threatened.
And Putin doesn’t visit Donetsk because everyone knows that terrorists are in power in Kiev and will definitely try to kill Putin in many ways, including flooding Donetsk with fire and not sparing thousands of people.
That is why Biden’s visit to Kiev confirms that Russia is right and on the side of Good against Evil.
KevinC
24064
As a fan of absurdist humor, I quite enjoyed both of those!
Alstein
24065
It’s very much the whataboutism that is common in fascist circles, both Putin’s and their American quisling counterparts.
I have more for you. Not one, but two jokes posted by Strelkov (Girkin).
Biden meets Zelensky in Kiev, looks him reproachfully (looking downward at him) and asks him sternly:
“Vladimir! Why did you attack Ukraine?”
Zelensky (confused): “John… it’s not me, it’s Vladimir Putin, and I’m another Vladimir - Zelensky!”
“Yes? Well, sorry then! I always mix you Russians up!”
“John, I’m not Russian! I’m a Ukrainian Jew!”
“Oh, I’m sorry again. I get you Russian Jews mixed up all the time!”
Putin had a meeting with Biden. They had their discussion and when he came back, he tells the Council of Ministers:
“Can you imagine? This senile old man is totally bad - he asked me, “Vladimir! Was your grandfather really a cook for Lennon himself?””
(everyone laughs).
“And what did you tell him?”
“I told him that it was Lenin, not Lennon, and my own cook is Wagner!”
He should not quit his day job…
This dude is a modern day Yakov Smirnoff.
Strollen
24069
60 Minutes deserves kudos for the coverage of the war in Ukraine. I think they’ve run close to 20 stories this last year, many of the by Scott Pelley who focused on the human cost of the war. I’m sure there is an element of propaganda but really seems that Russian attacks on electricity and power, rather than being demoralized have just pissed off the Ukrainian people and strengthened their resolve.
Also a good interview with brave and really beautiful PM of Finland Sanna Marin.
Another data point suggesting that the political incentives are so divorced from the military goals that the Russian military will not be able to fix itself during this war.
Timex
24071
Russia’s entire military is fundamentally corrupt.
