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Posted: 6/26/2024 10:54:51 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jwnc: Nope. The reason that Taiwan is strategic to the US is TSMC. China offers almost nothing besides cheap labor. When sanctions were first implemented by Trump, US companies had to scramble, but quickly set up new suppliers in Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico and other low wage countries (of which there are many). Per your last link, China's imports to the US are 2% of our economy ($0.5T/$25T). Replacing them would be a mild recession. This post is ridiculous. China is the world’s number one ship builder. China makes the majority of the ingredients for the world’s pharmaceuticals. Farming in America would collapse in months if we couldn’t get parts from China. I know I own a farm. The US would be in a depression if we got cut off from China cold turkey. It’s going to take a decade to decouple from China before we get to the point of it only causing a mild recession. I wish it wasn’t true but it is. |
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Posted: 6/26/2024 10:57:51 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DK-Prof: I know there have been a number of summits in which defense ministers/countries have "pledge" or "agreed" to meet the 2% spending goal, but every NATO publication I have seen refers to the 2% as a GUIDELINE. So I am not sure that calling it a "contractual obligation" is correct. That said, I totally agree with you that all NATO countries absolutely SHOULD be spending 2%. I am just being pedantic about the language.  In 2006 all NATO defense members committed to spending 2% of their GDP on defense. It’s not in the actual charter. |
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Posted: 6/26/2024 11:31:02 PM EDT
[#3]
Daily Ukraine map thread 🧵 for Wed 26th June 2024
Full Map: https://uacontrolmap.com Highlights: Sevastopol satellite imagery analysis from @MT_Anderson allows us to update Sevastopol. Relatively quiet, with smaller boats missing. No significant changes on the ground shown, just geolocations that confirm current areas of control. 
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
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Posted: 6/26/2024 11:33:10 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: This post is ridiculous. China is the world’s number one ship builder. China makes the majority of the ingredients for the world’s pharmaceuticals. Farming in America would collapse in months if we couldn’t get parts from China. I know I own a farm. The US would be in a depression if we got cut off from China cold turkey. It’s going to take a decade to decouple from China before we get to the point of it only causing a mild recession. I wish it wasn’t true but it is. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Originally Posted By jwnc: Nope. The reason that Taiwan is strategic to the US is TSMC. China offers almost nothing besides cheap labor. When sanctions were first implemented by Trump, US companies had to scramble, but quickly set up new suppliers in Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico and other low wage countries (of which there are many). Per your last link, China's imports to the US are 2% of our economy ($0.5T/$25T). Replacing them would be a mild recession. This post is ridiculous. China is the world’s number one ship builder. China makes the majority of the ingredients for the world’s pharmaceuticals. Farming in America would collapse in months if we couldn’t get parts from China. I know I own a farm. The US would be in a depression if we got cut off from China cold turkey. It’s going to take a decade to decouple from China before we get to the point of it only causing a mild recession. I wish it wasn’t true but it is. No, actually, he's quite correct. ChinaIsAsshoe has been attempting to bankrupt competitors via state subsidies for decades. They can only "compete" due to cheap (forced) labor and zero environmental controls. I own a farm as well. I don't need parts from ChinaIsAsshoe. They may be cheaper but farms will still run with US made parts. The US economy would jump because manufacturers would be able to sell their products instead of being forced out of business. As he mentioned, many companies have moved their cheap labor production to other countries. A great example of that is the clothing industry. ChinaIsAsshoe undercut US clothing manufacturers until they went out of business. But, now, it's their turn to be priced out of business by cheaper labor countries. Also, India has roughly the same export of pharmaceuticals as ChinaIsAsshoe. That was one of India's (few) strategic investment areas. (Note that I'm not sure that getting them from India is much better than ChinaIsAsshoe but still.) Also keep in mind that much of ChinaIsAsshoe's "exports" are actually US products manufactured there and exported to other countries besides the US. Cut off the licensed production and get the other western nations to do the same and their economy collapses entirely. Their economy exists to supply the West. Without western money, they have a billion mouths to feed and no way to get money to do so. |
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Posted: 6/26/2024 11:58:27 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By planemaker: No, actually, he's quite correct. ChinaIsAsshoe has been attempting to bankrupt competitors via state subsidies for decades. They can only "compete" due to cheap (forced) labor and zero environmental controls. I own a farm as well. I don't need parts from ChinaIsAsshoe. They may be cheaper but farms will still run with US made parts. The US economy would jump because manufacturers would be able to sell their products instead of being forced out of business. As he mentioned, many companies have moved their cheap labor production to other countries. A great example of that is the clothing industry. ChinaIsAsshoe undercut US clothing manufacturers until they went out of business. But, now, it's their turn to be priced out of business by cheaper labor countries. Also, India has roughly the same export of pharmaceuticals as ChinaIsAsshoe. That was one of India's (few) strategic investment areas. (Note that I'm not sure that getting them from India is much better than ChinaIsAsshoe but still.) Also keep in mind that much of ChinaIsAsshoe's "exports" are actually US products manufactured there and exported to other countries besides the US. Cut off the licensed production and get the other western nations to do the same and their economy collapses entirely. Their economy exists to supply the West. Without western money, they have a billion mouths to feed and no way to get money to do so. You tell me where in the US I can get US made parts for my 735D or the 9R. I also said the ingredients in pharmaceuticals not the actual pharmaceutical. India gets most of the ingredients from China and makes the end products, just like us. His post was also about right now today it would only cause a mild recession which is false. It takes time to move factories and yes a lot are moving now but it will take a long time before the impact is only a mild inconvenience. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 12:22:25 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: You tell me where in the US I can get US made parts for my 735D or the 9R. I also said the ingredients in pharmaceuticals not the actual pharmaceutical. India gets most of the ingredients from China and makes the end products, just like us. His post was also about right now today it would only cause a mild recession which is false. It takes time to move factories and yes a lot are moving now but it will take a long time before the impact is only a mild inconvenience. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Originally Posted By planemaker: No, actually, he's quite correct. ChinaIsAsshoe has been attempting to bankrupt competitors via state subsidies for decades. They can only "compete" due to cheap (forced) labor and zero environmental controls. I own a farm as well. I don't need parts from ChinaIsAsshoe. They may be cheaper but farms will still run with US made parts. The US economy would jump because manufacturers would be able to sell their products instead of being forced out of business. As he mentioned, many companies have moved their cheap labor production to other countries. A great example of that is the clothing industry. ChinaIsAsshoe undercut US clothing manufacturers until they went out of business. But, now, it's their turn to be priced out of business by cheaper labor countries. Also, India has roughly the same export of pharmaceuticals as ChinaIsAsshoe. That was one of India's (few) strategic investment areas. (Note that I'm not sure that getting them from India is much better than ChinaIsAsshoe but still.) Also keep in mind that much of ChinaIsAsshoe's "exports" are actually US products manufactured there and exported to other countries besides the US. Cut off the licensed production and get the other western nations to do the same and their economy collapses entirely. Their economy exists to supply the West. Without western money, they have a billion mouths to feed and no way to get money to do so. You tell me where in the US I can get US made parts for my 735D or the 9R. I also said the ingredients in pharmaceuticals not the actual pharmaceutical. India gets most of the ingredients from China and makes the end products, just like us. His post was also about right now today it would only cause a mild recession which is false. It takes time to move factories and yes a lot are moving now but it will take a long time before the impact is only a mild inconvenience. You can get parts for your 735D or 9R from places other than ChinaIsAsshoe. They are produced in multiple countries. They are cheapest coming from ChinaIsAsshoe. (JD has 3 plants in ChinaIsAsshoe. They also have plants in the US and 7 other countries besides ChinaIsAsshoe. So, cutting off ChinaIsAsshoe won't mean you run out of repair parts.). Also, India specifically invested in the precursor ingredients exactly so they would not have to import them from ChinaIsAsshoe. That's particularly important for antibiotics. (Remember that India and the Chicoms are just below having a war as it is. It's not a surprise they want to compete in the world market and, in India's case, not be dependent on the Chinese.) It will be interesting to see how their competition will impact drug prices worldwide. (Probably not a lot since we in the US seem to be the patsy for paying the most.) We don't need a tiff with ChinaIsAsshoe to cause a recession as we're already going to have one (if we're not already in one). |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 12:31:00 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By planemaker: You can get parts for your 735D or 9R from places other than ChinaIsAsshoe. They are produced in multiple countries. They are cheapest coming from ChinaIsAsshoe. (JD has 3 plants in ChinaIsAsshoe. They also have plants in the US and 7 other countries besides ChinaIsAsshoe. So, cutting off ChinaIsAsshoe won't mean you run out of repair parts.). Also, India specifically invested in the precursor ingredients exactly so they would not have to import them from ChinaIsAsshoe. That's particularly important for antibiotics. (Remember that India and the Chicoms are just below having a war as it is. It's not a surprise they want to compete in the world market and, in India's case, not be dependent on the Chinese.) It will be interesting to see how their competition will impact drug prices worldwide. (Probably not a lot since we in the US seem to be the patsy for paying the most.) We don't need a tiff with ChinaIsAsshoe to cause a recession as we're already going to have one (if we're not already in one). During Covid there was 4-6 month wait time on parts that were only manufactured in China. John Deere could not get us the parts. Also almost every part made in the US has components and metals that come from China in them. These are facts. You obviously don’t have new equipment if you don’t know this. My old 2555 I can get every part made locally if need be. The new stuff no way. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 1:01:17 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: During Covid there was 4-6 month wait time on parts that were only manufactured in China. John Deere could not get us the parts. Also almost every part made in the US has components and metals that come from China in them. These are facts. You obviously don’t have new equipment if you don’t know this. My old 2555 I can get every part made locally if need be. The new stuff no way. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Originally Posted By planemaker: You can get parts for your 735D or 9R from places other than ChinaIsAsshoe. They are produced in multiple countries. They are cheapest coming from ChinaIsAsshoe. (JD has 3 plants in ChinaIsAsshoe. They also have plants in the US and 7 other countries besides ChinaIsAsshoe. So, cutting off ChinaIsAsshoe won't mean you run out of repair parts.). Also, India specifically invested in the precursor ingredients exactly so they would not have to import them from ChinaIsAsshoe. That's particularly important for antibiotics. (Remember that India and the Chicoms are just below having a war as it is. It's not a surprise they want to compete in the world market and, in India's case, not be dependent on the Chinese.) It will be interesting to see how their competition will impact drug prices worldwide. (Probably not a lot since we in the US seem to be the patsy for paying the most.) We don't need a tiff with ChinaIsAsshoe to cause a recession as we're already going to have one (if we're not already in one). During Covid there was 4-6 month wait time on parts that were only manufactured in China. John Deere could not get us the parts. Also almost every part made in the US has components and metals that come from China in them. These are facts. You obviously don’t have new equipment if you don’t know this. My old 2555 I can get every part made locally if need be. The new stuff no way. During Kung Flu there was a shortage of toilet paper briefly, too. If China's plants are shut down or unavailable, the remainder would pick up the slack just like they have with their Russian plant (that I assume is no longer functional). There are US or global replacements for *everything* that ChinaIsAsshoe produces (albeit likely at a higher cost). And, in some industries, they are no longer the low cost producer. These are the facts. My contention is that we need to divorce ourselves from ChinaIsAsshoe and get into a position to once again be self-sufficient and a major exporter as a nation. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 1:37:17 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By planemaker: During Kung Flu there was a shortage of toilet paper briefly, too. If China's plants are shut down or unavailable, the remainder would pick up the slack just like they have with their Russian plant (that I assume is no longer functional). There are US or global replacements for *everything* that ChinaIsAsshoe produces (albeit likely at a higher cost). And, in some industries, they are no longer the low cost producer. These are the facts. My contention is that we need to divorce ourselves from ChinaIsAsshoe and get into a position to once again be self-sufficient and a major exporter as a nation. Once again you defend my original post which you said was wrong. What happens when it’s all cut off immediately? You keep saying these things will be moved or the “slack” will be picked up else where. My original reply to the other poster was to his comment on it only being a mild recession if we went to war now. It would not be mild it would be catastrophic. Cause all your hypotheticals are not in place right this insistent. For some reason you keep arguing about shit that would take months if not years to change. Which I agree we need to decouple asap from China. Once again re read the original post. Lastly no the world doesn’t produce everything China makes especially in mass to meet demands for some products. China alone produces HALF of the world’s steel. You simply don’t make that production up over night else where. Especially not in this country with the current government. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 1:39:45 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By planemaker: During Kung Flu there was a shortage of toilet paper briefly, too. If China's plants are shut down or unavailable, the remainder would pick up the slack just like they have with their Russian plant (that I assume is no longer functional). There are US or global replacements for *everything* that ChinaIsAsshoe produces (albeit likely at a higher cost). And, in some industries, they are no longer the low cost producer. These are the facts. My contention is that we need to divorce ourselves from ChinaIsAsshoe and get into a position to once again be self-sufficient and a major exporter as a nation. I guess that folks that make toilet paper are "essential" after all.
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MI, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 2:06:37 AM EDT
[Last Edit: ArmyInfantryVet]
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: You tell me where in the US I can get US made parts for my 735D or the 9R. I also said the ingredients in pharmaceuticals not the actual pharmaceutical. India gets most of the ingredients from China and makes the end products, just like us. His post was also about right now today it would only cause a mild recession which is false. It takes time to move factories and yes a lot are moving now but it will take a long time before the impact is only a mild inconvenience. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Originally Posted By planemaker: No, actually, he's quite correct. ChinaIsAsshoe has been attempting to bankrupt competitors via state subsidies for decades. They can only "compete" due to cheap (forced) labor and zero environmental controls. I own a farm as well. I don't need parts from ChinaIsAsshoe. They may be cheaper but farms will still run with US made parts. The US economy would jump because manufacturers would be able to sell their products instead of being forced out of business. As he mentioned, many companies have moved their cheap labor production to other countries. A great example of that is the clothing industry. ChinaIsAsshoe undercut US clothing manufacturers until they went out of business. But, now, it's their turn to be priced out of business by cheaper labor countries. Also, India has roughly the same export of pharmaceuticals as ChinaIsAsshoe. That was one of India's (few) strategic investment areas. (Note that I'm not sure that getting them from India is much better than ChinaIsAsshoe but still.) Also keep in mind that much of ChinaIsAsshoe's "exports" are actually US products manufactured there and exported to other countries besides the US. Cut off the licensed production and get the other western nations to do the same and their economy collapses entirely. Their economy exists to supply the West. Without western money, they have a billion mouths to feed and no way to get money to do so. You tell me where in the US I can get US made parts for my 735D or the 9R. I also said the ingredients in pharmaceuticals not the actual pharmaceutical. India gets most of the ingredients from China and makes the end products, just like us. His post was also about right now today it would only cause a mild recession which is false. It takes time to move factories and yes a lot are moving now but it will take a long time before the impact is only a mild inconvenience. China would collapse harder than us. Get off sucking China's dick. lol We could just sabotage the Straight of Malacca and their finished for the next 200 years. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 2:15:02 AM EDT
[#12]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 2:20:34 AM EDT
[#13]
 🇷🇺 missile attack on the night of June 27, 2024. (destroyed/fired): 🟢 - ( 0/1) Ch-47M2 "Kindża" 🔴 - ( 4/4) Calibr 🟡 - ( 23/23) "Shahed-131/136" 🟠 - ( 1/1) Ch-59/69 🟣 - (?) S-300
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Posted: 6/27/2024 2:23:01 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ArmyInfantryVet: China would collapse harder than us. Get off sucking China's dick. lol We could just sabotage the Straight of Malacca and their finished for the next 200 years. Sucking dick that’s nice. Always nice to see that, that’s when you know you’re proving a point when someone results to acting like a child. War with China also means no semiconductors from Taiwan. We are screwed with out them. |
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MI, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 2:43:43 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Sucking dick that's nice. Always nice to see that, that's when you know you're proving a point when someone results to acting like a child. War with China also means no semiconductors from Taiwan. We are screwed with out them. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: Originally Posted By ArmyInfantryVet: China would collapse harder than us. Get off sucking China's dick. lol We could just sabotage the Straight of Malacca and their finished for the next 200 years. Sucking dick that's nice. Always nice to see that, that's when you know you're proving a point when someone results to acting like a child. War with China also means no semiconductors from Taiwan. We are screwed with out them. We would have tough times, but China would be far worse. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 2:50:03 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ArmyInfantryVet: We would have tough times, but China would be far worse. That I definitely agree with you. Still doesn’t change the simple point I was making. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 3:15:42 AM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 3:17:57 AM EDT
[#18]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 3:21:46 AM EDT
[#19]
Kherson. This afternoon, the enemy attacked the city and its outskirts
Fires broke out at three different addresses at once. While extinguishing one of the fires, an enemy UAV tried to drop explosives directly on the rescuers. Fortunately, they noticed the enemy drone in time and managed to run into the building. All fires were extinguished.    
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Posted: 6/27/2024 3:25:25 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Prime]
[#20]
The Redkinsky pilot plant was attacked by 4 drones in the Tver region tonight, ASTRA sources The plant also produces aviation fuel. The attack took place on the night of June 27. The plant's pipeline, roof and building of one of the workshops were damaged. There were no injuries, all employees were evacuated. OJSC ROZ is one of the largest chemical production plants in the Tver region, producing more than 40 types of products for various purposes. https://t.me/astrapress/58438 At around 4 am on June 27, in the Konakovo municipal district of the Tver region, the air defense systems on duty of the Russian Ministry of Defense repelled another UAV attack. Emergency services specialists continue to work at the site where the UAV debris fell. There were no casualties. On behalf of the Governor of the Tver Region, Igor Rudeni, regional departments are providing all necessary assistance to emergency services. https://t.me/pul69/13922 |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 3:40:23 AM EDT
[#21]
In Crimea, the occupiers destroyed Tauric Chersonesos, a theater was built in its place, - a representative of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
27 june, 2024 thursday 04:07 In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the Russians completely destroyed the monument of world importance Tauric Chersonesos: they built an open theater in its place Evelina Kravchenko, a senior researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, said this at the Third International Forum of the Crimean Platform Expert Network, Ukrainska Pravda reports. According to her, Russian developers have erected an open theater at the site of archaeological excavations. At the same time, some of the archaeological finds were taken to Russian museums. Kravchenko said that the Russian occupiers are destroying the authenticity of monuments with new buildings. "Now there are negative processes with the only monument of world importance, which we managed to nominate and include in the list of monuments in the Crimea - with Tauric Chersonesos," she said. Back in 2015-2016, Russian developers blocked the archaeological remains that were on the surface with observation decks. We are talking about towers, walls and columns. And they built an open theater on the site of Chersonesos: it creates a load on the monument of about a ton. "The Russians did not know anything about the geological situation at this place, so they began to remove the soil on the territory with ordinary excavators. Somehow, they dug up an ancient spring there, so everything was flooded," Kravchenko said. The scientist said that the occupiers also took some of the archaeological finds, including frescoes, dishes, household items and icons, to Russian museums. On July 5, 2023, it became known that the occupation administration of Sevastopol is preparing documents for the export of more than 300 thousand tons. exhibits from the museum-reserve "Tauric Chersonesos" for alleged restoration. At that time, the occupation administration was preparing acts of "transfer for restoration for further exhibition outside the museum" for 300 thousand exhibits from the funds. Subsequently, it was reported that the Russians were carrying out excavations on the ruins of the ancient and Byzantine city-state of Tauric Chersonesos, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In this way, they want to prove that the monument belongs to Russia. https://espreso.tv/kultura-u-krimu-okupanti-znishchili-khersones-tavriyskiy-na-yogo-mistsi-sporudili-teatr-predstavnitsya-institutu-arkheologii-nan-ukraini https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1411/ |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 3:53:49 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Prime]
[#22]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 4:27:39 AM EDT
[#23]
This is a long-read story from a Russian mobilised soldier (mobik) covering the moral and psychological state of Russian mobiks in June 2024, which is marked by a pervasive loss of interest in the war's progress and goals. This detachment stems from a protective inhibition of the psyche, as the harsh realities and indefinite service life compel the brain to disconnect from the constant stress. Soldiers have largely tuned out war news, focusing instead on mundane tasks, personal interests, and issues at home, while enduring deteriorating living conditions, increased restrictions, and growing mental and physical health challenges. Humor has become dark and cynical, reflecting a grim resignation to their situation. Starts here and is broken into parts similar to the original Telegram posts: "MPS [morale and psychological state] and everyday life in the Zone in June 2024: Part 1, loss of interest in war The first thing I want to start with is the loss of interest in the war and its course and goals. We just live at it. The basis of this phenomenon is protective inhibition of the psyche. We don't know the exact service life, and the reality is disgusting. What does the brain do to maintain sanity? Breaks contact with the source of irritation. We are not interested in the progress of battles any more than they bring us news from the front. Everyone focuses on the life of their unit and the life of their closest neighbors. We turned off the radios with general information background. We don’t ask, “How’s the frontline?” - we’re just told occasionally. Most people do not read military telegram channels, especially those about military art and tactics. SMO news is read no more than once a week. We simply do our job mechanically. War already bursts into our lives in the form of the roar of its artillery, conversations about who and where the enemy FPV drones have knocked out on the roads, and the explosions of air defense missiles overhead. We try not to let more of this into everyday life. Therefore, all the talk in the news about great goals and plans, the burning of this war, usually now, at this stage, causes grins and jokes of varying degrees of viciousness. Simple example: - The news says that we will fight until complete victory over the hohols... — With whom?)) Contract soldiers are fully refreshed once every 2-3 months, but we mobikss will run out in a year and a half)) It’s time for the General Staff to think about the “army of the dead” and combat necromancers 😁 What are we interested in instead of war? Firstly, people use the Internet to do housework at home. Relatives do repairs, fix cars, take children to sports clubs and competitions. Our comrades are actively involved in all this - they give money, choose building materials, select work teams, etc. Secondly, many have a lot of problems with loans and with relatives. Someone’s father/mother died, someone got divorced, someone’s evil aunt is trying to sue for their apartment. Or in the end, your beloved pet died or your bank card was blocked. Thirdly, we watch TV series, films, anime. We organize matches in “Contra”, “Heroes of Might and Magic”. Others read books. The fourth is everyday life. Washing, washing first of all, because you have to do a lot of fiddling with it all. Hey, our life here is similar to life in some African village - energy-saving mode of electricity consumption, constant blackouts, everything is dilapidated and flabby. You don’t have to sign up for the Afrika Korps, you can sign up for our SMO - the same as Rwanda, only from a different perspective) even poisonous reptiles in the forests are available. And Soviet architecture of the 1960-1980s as the maximum of civilization. ___ MPS and everyday life in the Zone in June 2024: Part 2, “It’s not getting better...” ...and in order for it not to get much worse, you have to work hard. This general two-part phrase can describe most of the phenomena around us that are characteristic of trench warfare. 1) Let’s take the enemy’s means of destruction and the dynamics of their use. In January-May 2023, these were “HIMARS” flying to the rear, and at the front these were 155-mm Ukrainian shells. Then the front experienced the pain from the mass of cluster shells when it was our turn to attack - from August 2023 to the end of February 2024. Enemy drones made life difficult in our near rear back in July 2023. And drops from copters on positions on the front accounted for 50% of the daily attacks (17-25 per day) last October-November. Since last December, FPV have been all the rage. And what? Got better? No, it hasn’t gotten better for months, it’s just that the hohols have run out of cluster shells. But a lot of FPV drones appeared. There was no fracture. We joke darkly about this: “The goal of the Emperor’s guards is for the enemy to spend all their shells and drones on us. 2) Living conditions. At first, we started living in houses in towns and cities. We rented for our own money or lived in abandoned buildings. Yes, it was dangerous. But it's comfortable. Were they able to protect us from the waiters who passed our locations? No. Were you able to organize the placement of equipment in a smart way? No. We were simply all evicted into forest belts and fields. Where we built our comfort-plus dugouts for the first time. The dugout is worse than the house. The only plus is that from the air it is not clear who lives where. It got a little better. Traded comfort for safety. However, with the beginning of the offensive, everyone began to move and they had to hastily build cramped dugouts, or live in those inherited from other units. Over the winter it all leaked and became moldy. I had to work hard to play with minimal comfort. But it's still worse than it was. Drones also make you hide. It has become worse compared to what it was in January 2023. I recently heard from one of the staff members reminiscing about how well they lived in Izyum and the surrounding area in 2022 compared to today. The story ends ironically: - ...then, of course, we handed over everything and abandoned everything, but what a thrill it was in the houses and with freedom of movement. 3) Supply. It has gotten better, but since we have moved into an area without settlements (or they have been destroyed), we have to rely on state-supplied food. Plus, due to strict restrictions on movement, there are problems with going to the shops - not everyone, as before, can afford it. Therefore, state-provided supplies have become better, but access to stores has become worse. Mediocre, especially compared to last summer. 4) Enslavement. In January-February 2023, we drove wherever we wanted within the Zone and in whatever we wanted. We could go shopping and exchange cash so that we would have something to buy food with, while armed to the teeth. For more than a year, the military police and the VAI [military vehicle inspection] had firmly established themselves in the middle rear and blocked all roads leading from the front. Any departure is only according to the combat task, including with an exact indication of the weapon and the amount of ammunition. VAI officers control and report on everything, including whether the driver and passengers in the cab are wearing seat belts. Last winter, cars were detained and the maintenance documentation was completely checked - I even saw a detained BM-21 Grad at the checkpoint. Only recently were the VAI officers pushed further away, but for several months they made our life difficult. Naturally, personal transport could be subject to arrest. Just like the military personnel who were not registered in the combat tasks, I thought of going quickly to the store, but ended up in the commandant’s office. Abandonment of positions by new contract soldiers and refusals have not gone away, so in addition to restricting movements on roads, specific orders from commanders appeared to prohibit travel outside the deployment areas and regular roll calls of large units. There is less freedom of maneuver, and the stress from the course of service became greater. The feeling that you are serving your sentence in a prison zone, with several rings of security. It got worse. ____ 5) Complicated going on vacation. This is like a special case of enslavement and logistics. I do not know the reasons why cars from the Moscow Military District were prohibited from traveling further than Urazovo, along a short route. That is, purchasing building materials for dugouts has to be done with a triple twist (to put it without swearing). Added to this was a ban on MMO vacationers traveling through checkpoints in the Belgorod region. And now you have to spend at least 6 hours to leave the Zone, + 11-13 hours to get to Moscow. Why this was done, I don’t know. It got worse. 6) Physical and mental health. For most, both have only gotten worse. I described this above and described it earlier - stress, hard life, monotonous work, alcohol, tobacco, energy drinks, coffee do not make anyone stronger. Lately, I have often heard mentions of the appearance of nervous breakdowns and recording of progress in mental disorders - bipolar, hysterics, fits of anger, apathy. Against this background, our physical education group looks like an oasis - there are already about 7 of us involved in strength training with varying degrees of involvement. The guys (and I) go to great lengths to preserve both our minds and our bodies this way. And it works. But the people around us are getting worse. We live from month to month - hoping to live to see a rotation, otherwise the first wave of mobs will end up with disabilities of various groups. 7) Groundhog Day. It hasn't gone away, it's only gotten worse. The same wheel of worries every day: work, meals, bathing, laundry. Highlights: sports, Counter Strike match. Military highlights include the passage of an enemy drone, which is shot at by everyone who can, because it’s just boring. That's all. Nothing else usually happens in everyday military life. But now we are much more enslaved, and you consider it lucky to escape from your place of confinement on a work trip (to repair a truck, for example). And long-term existence in enslavement and in Groundhog Day gives rise to a partial restoration of the medieval worldview: - Fatalism. — The vanity of everything that exists around. — Fierce work to improve immediate life. 8) Feeling like an endangered species. There are much fewer of us mobs after the October-March offensive period. Our particular regiment can no longer be called a “regiment of mobs,” alas. More than 50% are new contract soldiers. Many new faces appeared. In neighboring parts too. One day in the spring I crossed paths with a volunteer from BARS. After the conscription service, the guy signed up to fight in a corporate PMC. When he heard that I had already served 19-20 months of mobilization, his eyes bulged - he himself only spent a month in the war))) Communicating with the new contract soldiers, you feel like a mammoth. The only cooler people than us are the pre-war full-time contract soldiers - they're basically dinosaurs. And these are not good feelings at all. Watch Lafayette Escadrille or Aces in the Sky (1976). These are the feelings - there were 5 “old men” and 1 “young man”, and after a few weeks there was only one “old man” and one ironic refusenik. When you meet brother mobs, you rejoice in belonging to them. And at the same time, you acutely worry about the death or elimination of anyone you’ve lost so far. Last spring we buried a good friend who had been written off as “unnecessary” to the assault company. He would have turned 47 this year; we knew each other from Belarus. Several others were transferred due to injuries and illnesses. New unfamiliar faces appeared. It's bad to feel like you're going extinct. ____ MPS and everyday life in the Zone in June 2024: Part 3, some conclusions about MPS mobs and other military personnel The above is our intoxicating reality, in which we have been living for 21 months now and about 17-18 months in the Zone. Yes, that's exactly what it looks like. Almost no joy. Sucking vitality. Who thought that war was cool, dynamic and like in “Call of Duty”, I will disappoint you. This is exactly what it looks like. Remark: at the zero line, the assault troops have their own wheel of fortune - assault, injury, hospital, recovery, back into service... And so on until they lose their fitness for service in the stormtroopers and are transferred to the rear, or until death. It is almost impossible to resign under the Military Commission with the current rules for assessing the health of military personnel in the SMO - except for paying a bribe for 400K+ rubles. Therefore, in general, during these 21 months we have become very gloomy people. Many people's eyes have gone dark - do you know this expression? Watch films about big wars, like the Finnish “The Unknown Soldier” from 2017. There is a mask of fatigue and sadness on the face. Our humor has become malicious and hopeless. I gave an example: - Brother, when is demobilization? - 100 years later. Conditions for demobilization: 50 years at the front, 50 years in the rear, marry a local Ukrainian, give birth to 3 sons, 2 of whom will be designated as new contract soldiers. And you will be allowed to send only one to Russia, but he will be raised by the state in the “Youth Army”. We no longer respect most politicians in all countries of the world. Of all the positive ones who have ever been mentioned, I remember only Comrade Stalin and Lenin. And normal generals, like Zhukov or Rokossovsky. Suvorov and Kutuzov from pre-revolutionary history were also mentioned. In conversations, there was clearly a division between “you there in Russia” and “us here in the Zone.” Otherwise, we're just surviving. So the day has passed again - and to hell with it. From vacation to vacation. A note for hohols: everything described above fully applies to you. Extend this to yourself - Muscovites are not going to leave, cemeteries are replenished, then one military resource (like shells for some systems) of the NATO owners will dry up, then another. The Russian Armed Forces are slowly advancing to the west. You're not getting any better."
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Posted: 6/27/2024 4:43:20 AM EDT
[#24]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 5:07:57 AM EDT
[#25]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 5:55:47 AM EDT
[#26]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 6:05:25 AM EDT
[#27]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 6:13:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AlmightyTallest]
[#28]
 
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Posted: 6/27/2024 6:18:05 AM EDT
[#29]
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GA, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 6:28:26 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Crash_Test_Dhimmi]
[#30]
Deleted
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Posted: 6/27/2024 6:52:26 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
Slightly longer version. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 7:05:16 AM EDT
[#32]
   
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Posted: 6/27/2024 7:28:50 AM EDT
[#33]
Why in the hell was there a single functioning radar site in Houthi-controlled Yemen?
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:05:13 AM EDT
[#34]
Houthi problem needs to be dealt with ... this is getting ridiculous how they are just allowed to do this with zero consequences ... minus some strikes against them ...
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:06:31 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01: Well that didn't last long!
Most coups don't last ... you have to be so dang well organized to pull it off ... |
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NV, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:07:21 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GoldenMead: That I definitely agree with you. Still doesn’t change the simple point I was making. I agree, the raw import $ #'s from China don't tell the whole story of how a sudden cold turkey would go for the US. You have to look at economic activity that flows from those imports, which is vastly larger. At the low end, the various 'dollar stores' would almost all be shuttered, as virtually everything sold there that isn't food or cleaning supplies is Made in China.  On the medium end, Amazon stock would take a major hit, as a very large % of its sales is Chinese goods. On the high end - and where we'd see major economic contagion / stock market crash disaster, some of our most valuable companies would be crashed and largely out of biz for years. Apple and NVIDIA come to mind. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:16:45 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AlmightyTallest]
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Why in the hell was there a single functioning radar site in Houthi-controlled Yemen?
I don't know, but if they kept it off and in reserve and hidden, we might not spot it. The moment anything starts emitting, we usually know within minutes the location, regardless where it is in the world. But if it was in the open, I don't know why we would not hit it the first night. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:20:11 AM EDT
[#38]
Slightly ahead of the previous schedule it seems. 
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:23:39 AM EDT
[#39]
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GA, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:32:35 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Why in the hell was there a single functioning radar site in Houthi-controlled Yemen?
They still have attack helicopters, boats, etc. We are playing paddy cake. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:49:22 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ServusVeritatis: They still have attack helicopters, boats, etc. We are playing paddy cake. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ServusVeritatis: Originally Posted By michigan66: Why in the hell was there a single functioning radar site in Houthi-controlled Yemen?
They still have attack helicopters, boats, etc. We are playing paddy cake. We should be playing an old military game called "punitive expedition". I believe we did something similar with the barbary pirates the last time some muslims fucked with our boats. Send in the Marines, let them break a bunch of stuff, let them steal even more. Live broadcast the Marines dumping everything they stole into the ocean. Then tell the houthis knock it off or we will come back. Rinse and repeat as many times as is needed for the lesson to sink in. Fuck nation building, fuck spreading democracy, fuck regime change. Just fuck them up until the behavior changes. They can live however they want, under whomever they want, with whatever system of government makes them feel warm and fuzzy. As long as they don't fuck with the boats. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 8:52:42 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Prime]
[#42]
Russian Drone Base Hit by Ukraine Housed 'Iranian Instructors': Kyiv
Published Jun 26, 2024 at 11:51 AM EDT Updated Jun 26, 2024 at 4:55 PM EDT Kyiv attacked a base in Russia that housed Iranian flight instructors in a strike which killed at least three people and destroyed a stash of the devices that have wreaked havoc across Ukraine, it has been reported. Tehran is a key ally of Moscow and during its full-scale invasion, Russia has extensively used Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as the Shahed-136 to target civilian sites across the country, in particular energy infrastructure. Details have emerged of an attack carried out on June 21 by Ukrainian maritime forces supported by operators from Ukraine's security services (SBU) which targeted Russia's ability to use drones. It involved multiple strikes on Russia's 726th Air Defense Training Center, near the town of Yeysk in Russia's southwestern Krasnodar region, which is used to train troops to use drones, the Ukrainian Naval Forces' press service said on Monday, in a report carried by Ukrainian media. The strike destroyed 20 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, 50 Lancet drones, attack UAVs, 40 ZALA reconnaissance drones and 10 SuperCam reconnaissance drones. Satellite imagery purportedly showed the aftermath of the attack. The Telegram Channel Spy Dossier said that the strike hit adjacent administrative and living quarters used by Iranian instructors and Russian military personnel. The strike "hit a barracks used by Iranian flight instructors," the Kyiv Post reported. The surnames of three instructors who had been killed were reported as Gunya, Sadreev and Kazhanov. It is not clear whether Iranians were among the dead, nor the extent of other casualties, although the Astra Telegram channel reported nine Russian servicemen had been wounded. Pro-Kremlin Russian milbloggers, including Rybar Z, confirmed the facility had been attacked but said incoming weapons had been shot down and reported no damage. Spy Dossier posted on Monday that the strike was carried out by two cruise missiles of an unknown type, which were "probably" R-360 "Neptunes—a Ukrainian subsonic cruise missile. Kyiv did not identify the weapons used in the strike but the Kyiv Post reported that there was evidence Neptune missiles or similar weapons had been fired in the attack, which it described as one of the most effective Ukrainian counterattacks against Russian long-range strike systems since the war started. Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries, as well as the Iranian foreign ministry for comment. Overnight Tuesday, the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claimed responsibility for a drone attack on an ammunition depot in Russia's Voronezh region less than 50 miles from its border. Ukraine has stepped up its strikes on Russian oil facilities which are used by Moscow's forces on the battlefield. In the latest attack, the GUR said that the blaze at the depot covered around 3,500 square meters and shared a video which showed smoke rising. https://www.newsweek.com/iran-ukraine-drones-strike-1917697 |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:09:59 AM EDT
[#43]
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/OPINIONS_209196/Opinions_209197/16319106.html
China military website bitching at G-7 |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:10:29 AM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By thehun06: Most coups don't last ... you have to be so dang well organized to pull it off ... Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By thehun06: Originally Posted By GBTX01: Well that didn't last long!
Most coups don't last ... you have to be so dang well organized to pull it off ... No they don't. The old days when the coup plotters could take over the government radio/tv station and shut down a few key newspapers to control information are long past in most of the world. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:13:22 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By planemaker: No, actually, he's quite correct. ChinaIsAsshoe has been attempting to bankrupt competitors via state subsidies for decades. They can only "compete" due to cheap (forced) labor and zero environmental controls. I own a farm as well. I don't need parts from ChinaIsAsshoe. They may be cheaper but farms will still run with US made parts. The US economy would jump because manufacturers would be able to sell their products instead of being forced out of business. As he mentioned, many companies have moved their cheap labor production to other countries. A great example of that is the clothing industry. ChinaIsAsshoe undercut US clothing manufacturers until they went out of business. But, now, it's their turn to be priced out of business by cheaper labor countries. Also, India has roughly the same export of pharmaceuticals as ChinaIsAsshoe. That was one of India's (few) strategic investment areas. (Note that I'm not sure that getting them from India is much better than ChinaIsAsshoe but still.) Also keep in mind that much of ChinaIsAsshoe's "exports" are actually US products manufactured there and exported to other countries besides the US. Cut off the licensed production and get the other western nations to do the same and their economy collapses entirely. Their economy exists to supply the West. Without western money, they have a billion mouths to feed and no way to get money to do so. Per the links I posted earlier: North America & Europe are about 25% each of China's exports. So 'the West' only comprises half of China's export market. If you think they dominate the market for finished goods here, it's MUCH worse in the rest of Asia (maybe excepting Japan & SK). Most of the other half of China's exports go to Asia - SE Asia, South Central Asia primarily. There was a time, probably more than a decade gone, when North America (US) accounted for almost half of China's export market. No more. The idea that a sudden, unanticipated US embargo would hurt them worse than it would us is really wrong. In the short term, it would hurt us WAY more than it would hurt them. In the long term, I think we'd come out on the winning end, but it would hurt a lot to get there. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:16:15 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CarmelBytheSea: http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/OPINIONS_209196/Opinions_209197/16319106.html China military website bitching at G-7 Lately, Chinese military media has been reflexively anti-Western almost to the point of parody. I guess it is their version of the MIC trying to get all their programs funded. |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:17:37 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AlmightyTallest:I don't know, but if they kept it off and in reserve and hidden, we might not spot it. The moment anything starts emitting, we usually know within minutes the location, regardless where it is in the world. But if it was in the open, I don't know why we would not hit it the first night. Point taken. Although I would think a country that spends more than a trillion dollars a year on defense and intelligence gathering should be able to find radar sites and helicopters in Yemen; I'm confident that the warfighters know about Houthi assets and would gladly take them out. If that doesn't work, time to deal with the suppliers. The real reason is the Biden team still holds to the philosophy they outlined in January: they don't want to kill many Houthis troops or officers because "it would cause more mayhem" in the region. Wait until Egypt's economy collapses and they become an honest to God failed state, then you will see unprecedented mayhem in the Middle East and Europe. Or the Houthis get lucky and hit one of our warships. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:24:46 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By thehun06: Most coups don't last ... you have to be so dang well organized to pull it off ... I wish the one in Turkey several years ago worked |
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:33:21 AM EDT
[#49]
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Posted: 6/27/2024 9:34:25 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Aikibiker: We should be playing an old military game called "punitive expedition". I believe we did something similar with the barbary pirates the last time some muslims fucked with our boats. Send in the Marines, let them break a bunch of stuff, let them steal even more. Live broadcast the Marines dumping everything they stole into the ocean. Then tell the houthis knock it off or we will come back. Rinse and repeat as many times as is needed for the lesson to sink in. Fuck nation building, fuck spreading democracy, fuck regime change. Just fuck them up until the behavior changes. They can live however they want, under whomever they want, with whatever system of government makes them feel warm and fuzzy. As long as they don't fuck with the boats. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Aikibiker: Originally Posted By ServusVeritatis: Originally Posted By michigan66: Why in the hell was there a single functioning radar site in Houthi-controlled Yemen?
They still have attack helicopters, boats, etc. We are playing paddy cake. We should be playing an old military game called "punitive expedition". I believe we did something similar with the barbary pirates the last time some muslims fucked with our boats. Send in the Marines, let them break a bunch of stuff, let them steal even more. Live broadcast the Marines dumping everything they stole into the ocean. Then tell the houthis knock it off or we will come back. Rinse and repeat as many times as is needed for the lesson to sink in. Fuck nation building, fuck spreading democracy, fuck regime change. Just fuck them up until the behavior changes. They can live however they want, under whomever they want, with whatever system of government makes them feel warm and fuzzy. As long as they don't fuck with the boats. I like where your head is at, though I'd also be in favor of going for the head of the snake (Iran). Iran finances, arms, trains, and provides intelligence and political backing to various terrorist militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Admittedly, I don't know nearly as much about the Middle East as I do Eastern Europe, but it would appear to me that Iran is the common denominator here. And, unlike forces like the Houthis and Hezbollah, Iran is an actual state with assets that can't be hidden or moved around to remote areas, and that they can't easily afford to replace. No, I don't want an invasion of Iran, regime change, and nation building. That would make Iraq look like a walk in the park. But I think Iran can 100% be hit where it counts, whether it's via sanctions, cyber attacks, air strikes against big ticket items, etc. |
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