“How is that trap working out?”

That’s the question a skeptical JohnH asked 7 weeks ago, about the Ukrainian offensive. The answer seems to be “pretty well”.

Source: Militaryland, accessed 10/23/2022, 3:30pm Pacific.

From ISW (dated 10/22):

Russian forces continued to withdraw from western Kherson Oblast while preparing to conduct delaying actions that will likely be only partially effective. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces have completely abandoned their positions in Charivne and Chkalove (both approximately 33km northwest of Nova Kakhovka), and Russian officers and medics have reportedly evacuated from Beryslav.[1] The Ukrainian General Staff added that Russian forces are also removing patients from the Kakhovka Hospital on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, likely to free up hospital beds for Russian military casualties that may result from the withdrawal across the river.[2] The Ukrainian General Staff noted that some Russian elements are preparing Kherson City for urban combat, while other servicemembers continue to flee the city via the ferry operating in the vicinity of the Antonivsky Bridge.[3] The UK Ministry of Defense reported on October 22 that Russian forces completed construction of a barge bridge alongside the damaged bridge and forecasted that the barge bridge would become a critical crossing point for Russian forces as Ukrainian forces advance toward Kherson City.[4] A large part of the Kherson City population has also reportedly left the city.[5]

54 thoughts on ““How is that trap working out?”

  1. JohnH

    You may recall that on September 30, I wrote: “It does appear that the heretofore hapless Ukrainian forces have gotten their act together in the northeast.

    This is very different from the “Ukraine is winning” message that the mainstream media promoted for months…without substance. Now there is an actual basis for it.”

    Prior to Ukraine’s capture of Lyman, based solely on the evidence, there was good reason for skepticism…and for doubting the dominant Western narrative.

    As for Kherson, it is clear that Ukraine has made some progress, but Western triumphalism at some preordained outcome is premature, though that seems to be the mainstream media’s stock in trade. Clearly Kherson is an albatross for Russia because of the potential to cut it off. There are good reasons to leave. But Russia may still make a serious stand. And Ukraine may face some serious logistics and supply problems of its own as a result of Russian attacks on electrical infrastructure. Time will tell.

    More concerning to me are Russian allegations of a Ukrainian dirty nuclear bomb. IWS and the mainstream media paint the allegation as ‘ridiculous.’ A couple weeks ago an attack on the Nordstream pipeline would also have been painted as ridiculous…but it happened. So count me as skeptical of those who dismiss the threat out of hand.

      1. JohnH

        The media has been hyping whatever Ukrainian successes they can. But government and mainstream media have a long history of lying about its overseas misadventures while exaggerating their successes:

        “Year after year, U.S. officials failed to tell the public the truth about the war in Afghanistan.”
        https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/documents-database/

        “Bush knew Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction” https://www.salon.com/2007/09/06/bush_wmd/ Years into the fiasco, Petraues sold the “surge” as the sure path to success.

        “ LBJ Knew Early Vietnam Was Quagmire” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lbj-knew-early-vietnam-was-quagmire/
        But there was always light at the end of the tunnel!

        With this long and sordid history, who wouldn’t be skeptical of anything the US claims? Answer: naive and credulous commenters here.

        Jeffrey Sachs: “ The mainstream media are largely mouthpieces for official policy. There is a deep intertwining of state power and major corporate power (which owns the mainstream media). The media do not like to present opposing views, and the government, of course, views the media as an opportunity for “selling” its message, also known state propaganda.”

        Glenn Greenwald: “ If one wishes to be exposed to news, information or perspective that contravenes the prevailing US/NATO view on the war in Ukraine, a rigorous search is required. And there is no guarantee that search will succeed. That is because the state/corporate censorship regime that has been imposed in the West with regard to this war is stunningly aggressive, rapid and comprehensive.” https://scheerpost.com/2022/04/13/glenn-greenwald-the-censorship-campaign-against-western-criticism-of-natos-ukraine-policy-is-extreme/

        Phil Geraldine: “ It is astonishing how many observers of war in Ukraine who should know better have been inclined to take at face value the assertions of “sources” that clearly originate among the various governments that are involved in the conflict. Those leaders who are engaged in the inexorable march by the US and its allies to turn the Ukraine crisis into World War 3 surely have learned the lesson that managing the narrative of what is taking place is the greatest weapon that the war hawks have in their possession.” http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2022/september/13/never-let-a-good-crisis-go-to-waste/

        The fact is that, for the months of hype and anticipation surrounding the vaunted Kherson offensive, Ukraine action has yet to match the hype.

        1. Barkley Rosser

          JohnH,

          Are you paying attention to what is going on in Kherson? Ukrainians may well take it before winter closes in. They have made substantial gains in the northern part of the oblast, and indeed massive civilian and military evacuations are happening out of Kherson, although there have indeed been some exaggerated reports at times of Ukrainian gains.

          Some of the earlier puffing in the summer looks to have been a successful effort by the Ukrainians to get Putin to move troops out of the northeast into the south. Upshot of that was the Ukrainians pushing the Russians out of Izyum and Lyman and more, revealing something like 40 mass graves full of bodies clearly tortured before being killed, and with Ukrainian forces closing on Svatove and Kreminna, with even the Russian forward push on Bakhmut looking ot have maybe come to an end.

          1. pgl

            I guess JohnH is stuck in the Nixon years. Of course he gets the Vietnam War was a mistake – which of course has nothing to do with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But at least he is ahead of Princeton Steve who still thinks we could have won the Vietnam War.

          2. JohnH

            Pal apparently thinks that Nixonwas responsible for government lies during the Iraq and Afghan fiascos!

          3. Noneconomist

            JohnH says to be wary of “the media’s” reporting, but be very concerned about Russian ALLEGATIONS of a Ukrainian dirty bomb!
            Sure, John, who would ever doubt Russia’s constant search for the truth?
            When you say Bozo, you really don’t need to add “The Clown”.

    1. pgl

      Does Putin pay you by the word?

      ‘More concerning to me are Russian allegations of a Ukrainian dirty nuclear bomb.’

      The Russians as usual are lying to set the stage for their own use of nuclear weapons. And of course a disgusting little Putin like you will applaud the carnage. It is what you do.

    2. Macroduck

      Johnny, you aren’t qualified to say whether there was reason for skepticism regarding Ukraine’s military performance. Now, here you are defending your wrong-headed, biased view with “who could have known…?” Who could have known is no defense when you were caught pretending to knowledge.

      You’re obviously a Putin cheerleader, praising an autocratic egomaniac with the blood of tns of thousands on his hands. You’ve been exposed. Own it.

      1. JohnH

        MacroDuck, even someone as dim witted as you should have been able to note Ukraine’s hapless performance until September, at which point they started to get their act together. All that time we were subjected to Ukrainian propaganda repeated in the mainstream media without question trying to convince people how well Ukraine was doing.

        Thar said, the extent of BS in the MSM does seem to have diminished now that Ukraine is performing better.

        1. pgl

          Gee Johnny – you and Bruce Hall have gone bonkers at the same time. I offered to pay for Brucie boy’s anger management sessions. I guess I have to pay for yours too. After all – I gave up on either one of you weasels ever growing up a long time ago.

        2. Mark Arnest

          JohnH, if the Ukrainian military had indeed been “hapless,” the war would have been over by the first week of March, as the Russians expected.

    3. Ivan

      I guess there is no Russian narrative to ridiculous for you to bite into.

      Did anybody actually state that the idea of Russia destroying their worthless Nordstream pipelines in order to cash in the insurance money was ridiculous ? Please give us a link.

      1. Anonymous

        why is Sweden withholding data surrounding the attacks on ns 1&2?

        shorter question: how could several nations interested in Baltic naval ops miss placing large mines?

        1. pgl

          You are even more disgusting than JohnH. Why do you even post here because everyone gets you are garbage.

          1. Anonymous

            technology is disgusting.

            plenty of capability out there available numerous actors to have seen what went down.

            the capacity being sensitive to do with it as “protecting” the culprit.

        2. Ivan

          You mean investigators not letting everybody know every details of their investigation? – where have we heard that before?, like in every investigation on earth perhaps?

          How could they not miss it given that they don’t have detailed surveillance of every mile of pipeline at any and all times. Why would they even want to keep an eye on dead pipelines?

        3. Barkley Rosser

          Anonymous,

          I do not know, but one reason might well be that they have not been able to figure out who did it, with it clear that is not so easy to determine, as I have kept reminding people here. Pretty much everybody aside from absurd tankies like you thinks the Russians did it, although it may well have been an accident showing their incompetent management of the pipelines. Explosions do happen spontaneously occasionally on such pipelines.

          1. Barkley Rosser

            Apparently the Germans and the Danes are also investigating the pipeline situation . None are giving out detailed reports, but what is coming out is what I have repeatedly said will be the case on this: they cannot determine who did it so far, that being very difficult to do.

            So, no, this is not a matter of Swedes covering up finding that Russian propaganda is correct that it is the US or NATO. Sorry, boy, no dice with that baloney.

    4. Tutti Frutti Ras-Putti

      It’s amazing to me that JohnH doubts Ukrainian and Western government reports out of hand, but is willing to give Russian allegations – with no proof – the benefit of the doubt.
      JohnH is a pawn of the FSB and/or a beneficiary of the criminal enterprise controlling Russia.

    5. baffling

      Johnh, to mention the “Ukrainian dirty bomb” simply indicates that you are indeed a Russian agent, whose purpose is to spread propaganda on this blog. I am surprised you did not mention how it is the Ukrainians who will blow up the dam that threatens Kherson? we both know, if either a dirty bomb or a blown up dam occurs, it will be Russian spite at the civilian population. there is a reason putin is evacuating people from Kherson. but my guess is, if he decides to blow the dam, that will invite nato forces directly into the conflict on humanitarian grounds. then the war will be lost by putin. as we both know, putin will get crushed by nato. and a nuclear strike against nato is something putin will not dare attempt, despite his threats. putin has simply accelerated Ukraine to join nato, at Russia’s borders. the folly of putin is that he has ensured that nato will surround Russia, at its borders. what a colossal failure on the part of putin.

    6. Barkley Rosser

      JohnH,

      My my, you really have outdone yourself with this comment.

      Do please keep in mind that in 1992 Ukraine gave up the world’s fourth largest stock of nuclear weapons in the Budapest Accords, signed by it and Russia, US, and UK, in which its independence and territorial integrity were to be guaranteed. Russia first violated that in 2014, and has this year done so massively and is increasingly doing so. Ukraine simply has no nuclear weapons, clean or dirty.

      Also keep in mind that except for some military targets around Belgogead near the border being used in the attack on Ukraine, Ukraine has hit no Russian targets and definitely no civilian ones. OTOH, the Russians have now killed tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, including many of them being Russian speakers they are supposedly trying to “defend” from the Ukrainians, most numerously in the now nearly totally destroyed city of Mariupol. They are currently attacking civilian infrsatructure in an effort to damage the living standards of most of the population, as well as playgrounds and kindergartens.

      No, it is not Ukraine that is plotting to set off a “dirty bomb” that could be used by Russia as an excuse for using full blown “clean” nuclear weapons in a desperate effort to halt the advance of Ukrainian forces on territories Russia has illegally conquered and attempted to annex.

      1. Barkley Rosser

        Correction. It was 1994 when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons.

        Needless to say, setting off a dirty bomb would provide zero gains for the Ukrainians while providing all kinds of pretext for Russia to use nukes. Just where would Ukraine do this and why? They are not remotely that stupid, even if they had one.

  2. ltr

    https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-10-23/Chinese-path-to-modernization-is-a-people-oriented-strategy-1eminWZTehi/index.html

    October 23, 2022

    Chinese path to modernization is a people-oriented strategy
    By Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira

    Xi Jinping stated at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that the central task of the Party is to promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the Chinese path to modernization in a comprehensive manner. In other words, China will continue to adhere to the Chinese path to modernization, contributing to a new form of human civilization and providing an inspirational path for other countries that is different from Western modernization.

    As a latecomer to modernization, China has suffered from the bullying of those who were the first to achieve development and modernization. Because the West took the lead in the industrial revolution, driving dramatic changes in production relations, interaction behavior and ways of thinking, and the transformation of national history into world history, people tend to use westernization as synonymous with the modernization process. In fact, although Western modernization has driven the transformation of traditional societies into industrialized and urbanized ones, such modernization is ultimately capital-driven, in which capital (wealth) is at the center of almost everything.

    It is clear, in the discussions of the 20th National Congress of the CPC that China wants to follow another path. China after a century of exploration has finally found a new type of modernization that takes the free and comprehensive development of human beings and human liberation as its fundamental value pursuit.

    In recent times, some Western countries, led by the United States, have experienced frequent negative problems in the economic, political, cultural and social fields, with polarization, materialism, ecological deterioration, foreign expansion and plunder, and other ills. Capital domination is the main reason for the West’s deep-rooted predicament. The nature of capitalism determines that many aspects of Western countries must follow the logic of capital domination. In essence, the nature of capital is to achieve value appreciation through movement. When the dividends of market space and technological innovation saturate at a certain stage, capitalism comes in trouble. The answer to the chaos of today’s Western world can be found in this institutional predicament dominated by capital.

    The Chinese path to modernization differs from classical Western modernity and postmodernity. Although modernization is a global trend and the common desire of all peoples, it cannot and should not be forced to be uniform. Due to different national conditions, history and culture, there is neither a definite modernization model nor a universal modernization standard in the world.

    The effort to achieve common prosperity is one of the characteristics of the Chinese path to modernization, which has not only changed China’s own destiny but also influenced the value orientation and trend of world development. Western-style modernization is centered on private ownership of the means of production, while the Chinese path to modernization is centered on public ownership and adheres to the goal of benefiting all people. This does not mean that the Chinese path to modernization is insulated from the capital, but that it accurately adjusts the relationship between capital and labor, fully utilizes and activates the civilizational side of capital under the premise of socialist public ownership and common prosperity, and serves the goal of modernization. In this sense, the Chinese path to modernization has broken through the single-choice model of Western modernization and given an alternative model centering on human beings and promoting economic, political, cultural, social and ecological civilizations in concert….

    1. Barkley Rosser

      “new form of civilization” and “human liberation”

      On trying to see what is new there in connection to human liberation, one item sticks out is the completely new level of total surveillanve of citizens by the government that has been developed and implemented since Xi Jinping came to power. The model for this has been though of in fiction previously though, norticeably what one finds described in Orwell’s “1984” with Big Brother’s total monitoring of citizens. “Human liberation” a “fundamental value” indeed.

  3. Ivan

    The tactical approach of cutting down supply lines to Russian troops was brilliantly executed not just with HIMARS systems but also the taking out of bridges. A Ukrainian soldier from the frontline noted that it used to be they fired one shell for every 10 the Russians fired, now that seemed to have reversed. Meanwhile Russia is wasting their best munition on trying to terrorize Ukraine into submission – as if that would be possible.

    Ukraine has gone slow on their attacks in Kherson Oblast for good reasons. This was the place they told Russia they would attack, so it would be costing them a lot of soldiers if they rushed forward before the full benefits of supply lines having been cut materialized.

    1. w

      The current Russian action of apparently moving civilians out of Kherson but preparing it for “urban combat” seems to me to be inviting an island strategy by the Ukrainians.

      1. Ivan

        If Russia actually leave trained soldiers behind fortifications (a big if), then going Urban combat is likely to cost too many lives. However, the closer Ukraine gets to the city, the easier it becomes to choke it off from any and all supplies across the river. So they can just continue the strategy used for the Kherson Oblast. Cut enemy supplies, then let them use up what they have, before you do any real push through their defensive lines. We did give them military speed boats they could use in the Dnipro River delta, if needed.

        If rumors are true that Russias are just putting new recruits in defensive positions while they remove all the real soldiers and equipment, then the main obstacle will be mines and booby traps. The abandoned recruits will be more likely to put up their hands than put up any real military resistance.

        1. baffling

          russia is evacuating Kherson so that it can blow the dam and flood the region. I don’t anticipate any urban combat on the part of the Russians. it is simply to destroy the country as they slowly withdraw. that will be the selling point putin tells the Russian nation. soldiers died in Ukraine to send a message that others should not threaten Russia. even though nobody threatened Russia. this is his exit strategy.

          1. Ivan

            My understanding is that the left (Russian) side of Dnipro river will take more damage than the right if they blow up the dam. The same goes for damage to the water supply (will mostly hit the Russian side). Not sure there is much military gain in blowing it up. The likelihood of Ukraine trying to cross the Dnipro right away in pursuit of Russian troops is very small.

          2. baffling

            Ivan, I don’t think putin is interested in blowing the dam for military gain. it is vindictiveness and the continued damage to the Ukrainian infrastructure. it is the action of an evil person.
            “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy,” Bush said in remarks he later regretted. “. . . I was able to get a sense of his soul.”
            bush is apparently an idiot. and trump idolizes the man.

  4. ltr

    https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-10-22/China-to-launch-Mengtian-lab-module-in-October-1elr9Luw5So/index.html

    October 22, 2022

    China to launch Mengtian lab module in October

    China plans to launch the final component of the country’s space station in October. Mengtian, the second lab module, will be the last piece before China completes the space station assembly.

    At present, various systems of the project are being tested and prepared to ensure that the construction of China’s space station is completed as scheduled.

    “We have undergone inspections and tests of the Long March-5B Y4 rocket,” said Liao Guorui, commanding officer of the coming mission of Mengtian lab module launch, “There will be a test for the combination of the lab module and the rocket.”

    Liao said full preparation as well as precise organization and execution will ensure the launch mission is a success.

    The Shenzhou-14 crew has been preparing for the arrival of the Mengtian lab module as the crew has been working and living in orbit for over four months. All members are in great health.

    The following Shenzhou-15 manned mission is also in preparation. The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi Desert has been preparing for the launch and recovery of manned spacecraft. The Shenzhou-15 crew is continuing training for the mission….

    1. ltr

      https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-10-09/A-review-of-the-construction-of-China-Space-Station-before-completion-1dZemlQi2e4/index.html

      October 9, 2022

      A review of the construction of China Space Station before completion
      By Zheng Yibing

      China’s space station, now consisting of a core module, a lab, a spacecraft and a cargo ship, is preparing to dock with a second lab to eventually form a T shape and complete its construction.

      So far, three crews – Shenzhou-12, -13 and -14 – have been onboard the space station. They have conducted a total of six spacewalks since Tianhe, the station’s core module, was sent into low Earth orbit some 400 kilometers above Earth in April last year.

      The station is now in the final construction phase. Its first lab module Wentian docked with the core module in late July and the second lab module Mengtian is to be launched soon.

      “The biggest structure of the China Space Station now consists of three modules and three spacecraft with a total weight of about 100 tonnes. It will be spectacular once it’s completed,” said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China Manned Space Program.

      To do this, China has made great efforts in the past 10 years. Chinese scientists have designed, manufactured and tested the various parts of the station.

      During this period, the time of docking in space has been shortened from 44 hours to just seven. And that of the stay of Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, in space has increased from 13 days to half a year.

      “Our space station is not flying on its own. There is a complete and powerful aerospace system that guarantees its smooth operation,” said Wang Xiang, chief space station commander of China Manned Space Program.

      China is preparing to send the fourth crew, three Shenzhou-15 taikonauts, to the station soon after the Mengtian lab mission, and the country is also recruiting a new generation of taikonauts….

      1. Ulenspiegel

        Why are you spamming each post with unrelated Chinese propaganda? Not fullfilled your quota yet?
        BTW: Have you understood in the meantime the concept of a useful idiot?

  5. pgl

    I went back to see if Johnny boy ever came back to his absurd question. He didn’t and he will probably duck this. I did see Econned with one worthless piece of whining after another. Seriously – Econned is incapable of making an actual point but he whines more than a 2 month old baby.

    1. pgl

      Huh – Johnny boy did comment. But by now I’m sure he wished he had not. Look Johnny boy – everyone here gets you are nothing more than Putin’s little stooge.

  6. ltr

    “Tankies have clearly never heard of Occam’s razor.”
    “Tankies have clearly never heard of Occam’s razor.”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankie

    Tankie is a pejorative label for leftists, particularly Stalinists, who support the authoritarian tendencies of Marxism–Leninism, or more generally authoritarian states historically associated with Marxism–Leninism.

    [ We are evidently returned to the years of Joseph McCarthy. The need being to intimidate and silence and provoke bullying. ]

    1. baffling

      ltr is the only bully, who tries to silence and intimidate by calling all other commenters racist.

    2. Barkley Rosser

      ltr,

      You are a bit off on this. Should have read that Wikipedia entry a bit further.

      The term started after the end of the McCarthy period. It specifically refers to people who defended aggressive foreign policy actions by the Soviet Union. It originated in Britain in 1956, after Stalin was gone and McCarthy was finished, when the Soviets put down the Hungarian uprising. They used tanks to do so, and the term referred to people defending this use of tanks to put down that uprising. It was also used when the Soviets used tanks to put down the Prague uprising of 1968. It would in UK also be used after 1956 to refer to hardline members of the British Communist Party who supported those Soviet foreign policies.

      So now the term has been revived to refer to people who support Putin’s aggressive foreign policy, notably his illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Looks like a pretty reasonable way to use it, and, sorry, ltr, you are wrong. It came after the McCarthy period and has nothing to do with it. Do better with your histoty, please, especially if you are going to tell us how the most extreme system of personal surveillanve by a govetnment is a form of “human liberation.”

  7. pgl

    Worried about how Iranian drones are helping Putin out with his war crimes? Well Israel has an answer:

    https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/2022-10-23/ty-article/.premium/israeli-strike-targeted-iranian-drone-assembly-site-near-damascus-syrian-monitor-says/00000184-0530-d736-abc7-1fb0384f0000

    A Friday airstrike near Damascus destroyed an Iranian-backed drone manufacturing and weapons storage site, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday. Widely believed to be carried out by Israel, the nighttime strike successfully targeted equipment used to assemble Iranian drones at Dimas military airport near the Lebanese border, the rights monitor claimed. A radar and runway were also apparently damaged. Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah have used the Dimas military airport as a base of operations throughout much of the Syrian Civil War, and Observatory sources reported back in January that Iran and Hezbollah were expanding the site and excavating underground storage sites.

    I get this is different fight from the one in Ukraine but come on NATO – take the Israeli lead and go bomb any Iranian drone factory.

  8. ltr

    Have you understood in the meantime the concept of a useful idiot?
    Have you understood in the meantime the concept of a useful idiot?

    [ We are evidently returned to the years of Joseph McCarthy. The need being to intimidate and silence and provoke bullying. ]

    1. Ulenspiegel

      That is a cheap and stupid deflection. YOU spam most threads with unrelated Chinese propaganda, usually you do not provide useful data or a good analysis.
      You are either paid for your behaviour or you are doing it for free, the latter means you are an useful idiot. OK?

    2. Barkley Rosser

      ltr,

      Sorry, but again you are historically wrong. If you got this out of some garbage PRC propaganda you like to repeat here, do please double check. There are people here (like me in particular), who know more than you do and double check this sort of false claim.

      So, the term was first used in British political discourse in 1864.

      Its Cold War usage came out of Italy, initially in 1948 in an election where the Social Democrats were allying with the Communist Party and critics of this used the term against the SDs. Its first Cold War usage in English was again not until after McCarthy was shut down in 1955 and indeed was used in reference to this 1948 usage discussing Italian politics. Its wider usage in the US came later.

      Really, ltr, you have been messing up badly here with these seriously inaccurate accusations of “McCarthyism.” They look about as credible as your efforts to equate criticisms of Chinese policies with anti-Semitism, something nobody here believes any more than your pathetic false claim that there were no “reeducation” camps in Xinjiang.

      Look, you need to support and defend this now ended Party Congress. There is much to defend, which you have pretty much overwhelmed us with, various real accomplishments of the PRC over recent decades, with most of the important foundation of these real achievements having been laid by Xi;s predecessors, such as Hu Jintao, whom he had personally humilated at the final session of the Party Congress. How utterly disgusting and shameful.

      Anyway, ltr, you have your work cut out for you. There is much to praise in Chinese acheivements over recent decades, again, the most important foundations of this preceding Xi’s now increasing degenerate autocratic rule. So, really, please, do not distract from your message with worthless historical lies. Some of us will find them out and shame you.

      BTW, on that tankie, bit it is really totally British. I never heard the term until this year. Apparently it was invented by dissidents within the British Commuinist Party in 1956, the year of Khrushchev;s deStalinization speech. Those using the term were those who supported that speech, so it became tied to being critical of supporters of “Stalinist Marxism-Leninidm” in the UK Commujnist Party, hence ltr’s ignorant focus on this, which indeed the CPC/CCP supports now as Mao did then. The irony is that while Khrushchev denounced Stalin he was the one who sent those tanks into Hungary,

  9. pgl

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/thomas-temporarily-blocks-graham-testimony-in-georgia/ar-AA13kj1D?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=746ffd04b37c49a9b380502986fd85b0

    Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday temporarily blocked Sen. Lindsey Graham’s testimony to a special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in the state. Thomas’ order is intended to prevent Fani Willis, Fulton County district attorney, from compelling Graham to testify while the Supreme Court weighs the senator’s request for a lengthier halt to the proceedings. Willis has a deadline Thursday to tell the high court why Graham should have to answer the grand jury’s questions. Lower courts have ruled that his testimony can take place. Thomas acted on his own, as the justice who handles emergency appeals from Georgia.

    Oh I bet Ginni Thomas told her husband “no sex for you unless you help little Lindsey out”. MAGA!

  10. Anonymous

    if the usa and uk can give some howitzers, and a few himars to untrained, just drafted ukraines

    provide them real times sensor data, and targeting info,

    why do we need one soldier, sailor and airman east of Boston to

    defend Latvia from the vast decrepitude of Russian and Belorussian armies?

    1. Barkley Rosser

      Anonymous,

      Because it clearly deters Russia from invading, which id not the case for Ukraine, which has been invaded. Duuuuuuuuh.

      1. Anonymous

        ‘deterrence’ not needed after this success.

        us/uk have demo’ed that they can do what they failed in syria! in syria they contended with two actors: the assad regime and russia. while in ukr they only had russia.

        it is that billion dollar medical center for the retired us servicemembers in germany!

        1. Barkley Rosser

          Anonymous,

          You are becoming less and less relevant and stupider and stupider. UK not involved in Syria at all. NATO has no interest there either, which is the body involved in the defense of Latvia and successfully deterring any Russian invasion of it, at least for now.

          The US involvement in Syria has been a confused and inconsistent mess, with no clear goal and not all that directed at the Russians particularly. Its biggest focus has been in the northeast, allying with the Kurds there against ISIS, which actually proved moderately successful, although remaining US troops there should probably leave. Have had about zero interaction with the Russians, who have been in Syria for over half a century since the Soviet period due to their naval base there.

          How out of it are you?

        2. Barkley Rosser

          Anonymous,

          Sorry, but you are heading into CoRev levels of stupidity here, if not worse. This comment is simply utterly incoherent.

          What “billion dollar medical center” in Germany are you referring to, and what on earth does it have to do with any of this?

          If you are on meds, did you stop taking them?

  11. pgl

    Iran plays the denial game when it comes to drones?

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-will-not-remain-indifferent-if-proven-russia-using-its-drones-in-ukraine-official/ar-AA13k4JO?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=280a88f72816468caadad892ac0632ef

    Iran will not remain indifferent if it is proven that its drones are being used by Russia in the Ukraine war, the Iranian foreign minister said on Monday, amid allegations the Islamic Republic has supplied drones to Moscow to attack Ukraine. “If it is proven to us that Iranian drones are being used in the Ukraine war against people, we should not remain indifferent,” state media cited Hossein Amirabdollahian as saying.

    Who does the government of Iran think is gullible as hell? They seem to be denying that they knew what the Russians were doing with their drones. Except there are Iranians in Crimea that are helping the Russians with their drone attacks.

    This kind of dishonesty is almost as bad as the pro-Putin garbage we routinely get from JohnH.

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