Dejin
4778
Tweeter is NYTimes reporter:
Alstein
4779
Said boxer was also extremely well educated, and famous for being so big that he never really took damage in most of his fights. (one of two heavyweight champion brothers)
I’m now remembering one of my big pandemic memories. In early 2021 right before the vaccines got widespread, a Ukranian e-sports group had the first fighting game invitational we had since the pandemic. They went through massive safety steps just to get 8 Calibur, Tekken, and MK players into an invitational.
One of my friends in the community got to participate, though she ended up going 0-7. he massively levelled up from that, I couldn’t touch her after this.
Everyone involved said the hosts/community were really warm and welcoming. I hope everyone there is doing ok. (The events got cancelled after Namco had major issue with online betting companies sponsoring)
Something tells me that even if Ukraine agrees not to be a part of NATO, Russia won’t want it to be a part of the EU either, and the EU isn’t a military alliance (that might change, but for the moment, it is what it is).
From The Guardian, status on Turkey limiting access to the Black Sea:
At least four Russian ships are waiting to cross from the Mediterranean.
Turkey: Russian warship, you know what to do
Precisely. It offended their big country feelings. Having to actually earn stuff is for small countries.
This is a very reasonable idea. It is also enormously complicated. Different players define security very differently. Sometimes those differences are irreconcilable. Mollifying Russia would, one could at least argue, require other parties like Ukraine, Eastern Europe in general, and NATO even, to sanction actions and policies that they would find very worrisome. Mollifying the West would require Russia to adopt a very different world view than it seems willing to adopt.
In a Clauswitzian world of rational Realpolitik and text book international relations models–or a game!–there are some easy answers, through agreeing on spheres of influence, providing guarantees, etc. None of that really works though when emotions and culture get involved. And at this point, what would make NATO feel secure makes Russia insecure, and vice versa.
The thing is, one good way to make sure everyone is aware of and respecting your legitimate security concerns is to…enter into a collective security agreement with everyone who might otherwise threaten them. NATO countries don’t seem to attack each other, and rarely seem to attack anyone else.
Grifman
4785
I’ve read the Putin is extremely paranoid about Covid. There are rumors he is not vaccinated. There are other rumors that his health his health is not good - in recent photos his face looks rather puffy. But no one knows for sure.
If that is genuine then it is heartbreaking.
This continues to be the right answer. Don’t even fuck around with it; just ‘no’.
Well… Let’s just say that mistakes have been made.
We did kinda destabilize the middle east, birth one of the vilest terrorist organizations in history, and kindle a smoldering war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
It won’t go down in history as a great move. No use pretending that our house is made entirely of solid rock.
If the argument is that we do more good than bad, I’m with ya, but when we do bad, we sure do blow things straight to hell.
This is from Politico’s European correspondent.
This is the same journalist who earlier yesterday reported this:
draxen
4790
There was never going to be any fighter jets because it’s a clear escalation and that’s the last thing anybody wants. The whole fighter jets thing is the same as the no fly zone malarky in my opinion.
I admire your certainty. Personally, I don’t grasp the fine distinction between giving Ukraine one kind of weapon they can use to destroy Russian military equipment and kill Russian fighters and giving them another kind of weapon they can use to destroy Russian military equipment and kill Russian fighters.
Finally, an ANTIFA Tucker Carlson can get behind.
I’ve read that the Secret Service collects or wipes down anything the president touches when he’s outside the WH because of the DNA issue.
The Israelis knew Arafat was dying before it was revealed because they tapped his urinal during a meeting.
Yeah, shut the fuck up Dmitry!
orald
4797
Not trying to trivialize the matter, this is not a game Putin is playing, but because this is primarily a gaming forum; Putin seems similar to me to a strategy gamer that played single player exclusively. Learning bad habits from exploiting weak AIs and beating up on on computer opponents and therefore regarding himself a strategic and tactical genius.
And then, he tries playing the game against a skilled, experienced multiplayer opponent. That opponent does notice all the forces arrayed on its border, diplomatic bullshit notwithstanding, and responds aggressively, relentlessly and with superior cunning.
A silly analogy perhaps but my mind went there.
