*** Official WWIII thread ***
 

Yup, it's time for a new cold war and WWIII. I guess I'm too old to be drafted now.

Don't really have anyone to talk with about this, so I might as well just talk to myself here.

I'm getting really, really sick of Trumpists and what they are doing to the party. I saw Trump's statement, that when he was president, Russia was afraid, and that he had made the US be energy independent. I'll give him a little bit of credit for the energy thing. But the major point here is that in this really big moment in history, it's all about him. It's all about ego. It's all self-serving. None of it has anything to do, really, with the good of the country. That's sad, because there are so many people who foolishly follow him.

This is a situation where all the peons like me have no say, no control, no real information or expertise, and we just have to cross our fingers that the persons who have power (who are in general no smarter, no wiser) know what the hell they are doing and exercise good judgment. We can only hope and pray.

CNN reporting hearing explosions, with Ukraniain officials telling CNN producers that it is missiles exploding.

I can?t imagine that Ukraine will put up any resistance. Maybe I?m wrong. But this is a country that just called up their reserves 1 day ago?

One of the biggest questions still is how effective the Ukrainian military is. How well were they advised, equippped, etc before this invasion. What is their strategy? Perhaps it is more of an insurgent strategy. Make it reasonably hard to take over, but save your powder for the insurgency.

It just seems like a total mess to see people in Ukraine killed while we just watch. I wonder what the fallout is going to be from that. Will pressure grow from the ground up to intervene in a more forceful way?

Anyway, it's a tragedy. Senseless. It's like living in the documentary real-time, watching history repeat itself in a new iteration of the same ol' thing.

Looks like my fears that Ukraine would just instantly fall were not correct.

Russian Transport taken down.

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1497430637166407686

One of the most important things to do now is fight this disinformation war. Talking to a friend who has a Ukrainian friend who has friends in Russia. These friends in Russia do believe the Russian version of current events.

A Bulgarian-American friend recently posted on FB that many of the people she has contact with in Bulgaria also support Russia/Putin. These people have access to western news, but they consider it propaganda.

Who the heck knows what the general population of China believe.

It's a very dangerous situation.

People are saying we need to be careful to avoid WWIII. I agree that we need to be careful and try not to escalate the conflict. But the part I disagree with is that WWIII has not started. This is WWIII. And right now it's primarily economic. The peaceful endgame right now is not clear.

At what point do you stay "STOP or there are consequences."

Never?

If it requires you to get to a certain line, and getting there appear inevitable, why not say STOP now.

The bully always takes every inch he can get. No more inches.

From my vantage, it seems like some kind of Russia vs. NATO conflict is inevitable. I don't see a 20 year civil war scenario playing out like has been reported in some places, via govt officials in the West.

Russia is testing the limits. Bombing nuclear facilities, for example. Wantonly killing fleeing civilian refugees.

What will it take for NATO to enforce a refugee corridor?

So it's been quite a while now that the storyline/perception has changed--that Ukraine can actually perhaps not be defeated. And that Russia is reeling.

And that Russia now is changing its aims to taking over the eastern region and negotiating a settlement.

And that the western sanctions are not having as large an impact as hoped, if the value of the ruble is the leading indicator.

It's been the case for a while that perception is that Russia can't/won't win, at least not anytime soon. Having pulled back and abandoned the siege of Kyiv. And now the battle in the East. The sinking of the Moskva today seems like an important moment. Along with news that the US will be delivering some heavy weapons to Ukraine. A lot of uncertainty still. About what a cornered dog might be capable of.

Chinese spy balloon. Are we getting closer or further?