gearhog

They did get more than enough. There we so many applicants they increased the number to 190-200, I think.

At this point, I don't think that dude actually reads anything, he just downvotes my username. Fuck 'em. I honestly try to empathize and imagine myself in the position that the average Israeli and Palestinian finds themselves in. There's plenty to be angry about on both sides and plenty of blame to go around. Conflict and killing is a messy business and there will always be a loss of innocent life. It's a terrible thing but an inextricable part of human existence. For me, the difference is that in addition to inflicting death, Hamas planned to kidnap, target women & children & elderly, rape, torture, publicly glorify it, then publicly parade the desecrated bodies through the streets. Whatever sympathies I may have had for the average Palestinan by imagining their plight are instantly lost on anyone who would endorse or make excuses for that sort of thing.

This morning, Israel has invoked Article 40 Aleph, a formal declaration of war, for the first time in 50 years. (1973, Yom Kippur). 9/11: Nine-eleven of 2023, that is. Biden and Blinken authorize $6 Billion in funds to Iran. The next day, Lester Holt interviewed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and pressed him on how the funds would be spent. Raisi said: “Humanitarian means whatever the Iranian people needs, so this money will be budgeted for those needs, and the needs of the Iranian people will be decided and determined by the Iranian government.” Now, we have Iranian backed Hamas launching an unprecedented attack into Israel, kidnapping and slaughtering civilians. There are numerous videos and unconfirmed reports of Hamas terrorists wielding US made weapons with some claiming they are grateful to the people of Ukraine for allowing Hamas to purchase them. The Taliban is claiming they are sending fighters to Palestine to destroy Jerusalem. But, where will they get the weapons and equipment? Now, the US is working out emergency military aid to Israel. Billion dollar solutions to our Billion dollar fkups. So Israel is going to absolutely lay waste to Palestinian territories, which will most definitely inflame the Islamic world and shred the Abraham Accords. Will Israel finally go after Iran? Will they be able to do it without massive US support? The collapse of Afghanistan, The invasion of Ukraine, and The war in Israel. All of these things, in addition to the domestic issues of inflation, unchecked immigration, insane levels of debt have accelerated in a very, very short period of time under the current leadership of the US. I suppose we get what we're willing to accept.

Keep your checkbooks open. Poor leadership and poor policies are getting very expensive.

Hamas launched a war this morning in Israel. Gunmen inside Israeli cities indiscriminately shooting civilians. 5000 rockets. Drone strikes. Mass kidnappings and hostages. To what extent will this inspire sympathetic immigrant populations in Western countries? buckle up

Turkey bombed oilfield operated by US and US back Syrian rebels. USAF F-16 shoots down Turkish drone, Turkey retaliates with air strikes today. NATO vs NATO https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/u-s-f-16-shoots-down-turkish-drone-over-syria

While I do not agree, I think this is the biggest factor in Western governments’ reasoning for having an open border policy. immigration at 7;25

I recently met an AF 0-5 who is a party to a class action lawsuit along with Hoppe. Please consider signing this petition. Thanks. https://x.com/jhippityhoppe/status/1710119097952788572?s=46

Agree. Why is that? It would seem we are either unable to accurately assess the capabilities of our foes, or intentionally misrepresenting them for the sake of funding. Either way, not good.

It's been a little while. I know there's strong feelings on both sides of the debate, so I thought it best to step back for a bit, let things play out, then revisit the situation and check on the actual results of our efforts. Anybody know what the total US funding for Ukraine is? I haven't been keeping up. Whatever it is, your paycheck federal withholdings have resulted in a net loss of ground in Ukraine since the beginning of the year. Sort of makes one wonder how much actually winning a conflict would cost.

Zài jiàn, MFer. Go be fat somewhere else. https://x.com/AndrewFeinberg/status/1707788800577945927?s=20

I solved this problem in 15 minutes with google and beer.

Army War College. page 6.

Disgusting disregard for human life.

Did you read the article? The entire basis for the article was the author claimed to have obtained a single document describing how Russia spent 6 days making posts on Facebook. You claim I repeated the things in this article. There is absolutely nothing in that article that were claimed to be said by the GRU propagandists that I repeated. At least your consistent in completely fabricating lies and falsehood, attributing them to me, then swatting at your straw men. Anyway, I rarely read an article without checking the author for bias. I was surprised to see this when I clicked on her name. Again, same author, same news outlet, that you're using to complain to me about Russia's use of Facebook. You gotta see this: Really? YOU essentially provided me this quote to make my counter-argument. It's bewildering that you cannot realize how absolutely easy you're making this for me. Some were recent, they said, and involved posts from the summer that advanced anti-Russia narratives citing the Kremlin’s “imperialist” war in Ukraine and warning of the conflict’s direct impact on Central Asian countries. Significantly, they found that the pretend personas — employing tactics used by countries such as Russia and China — did not gain much traction. The Pentagon employs people who create fake online accounts to advance "imperialist" war by Russia narratives? You don't say... 😄 So again, Your Author, from Your Source is here denouncing the US DoD for engaging in the exact same thing you're accusing me of. We're up to what? A dozen times or so where I point out a glaring hypocrisy in your argument and you pretend it doesn't exist? Don't you realize that for every reference you provide as evidence of wrong-doing, I can do the same? Pro tip: You really need to make sure your side of the issue isn't engaged in lies in deceit, when you whine about the other side engaging in... lies and deceit... in exactly the same way. I'm clueless? You just gave me a headline that completely discredited your own position. Sorry, I don't think that's how logic works. Have fun in your pool full of piss or whatever weird analogy you're making. I have no idea. Moving on.... That's a lot of people we've lost in the course of 100 years of conflict. Think about it. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, IRQ, AFG, SYR, LBY, etc, etc, etc. 100 years. vs 18 months. Fortunately, not one US service member has died for our friends and allies, the Ukrainians. We pay them to die for our benefit. That's what Patton meant, right? No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making some other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

Quadrupled down on what? Pointing out that you're only able to identify propaganda when it doesn't come from you? I am genuinely interested in your position, if it can stand. But childishly repeating: "Russian Talking Points" ad nauseam doesn't give you any credibility. I'm not here to change anyone else's mind. I'm not here to be agreeable. I'm here to change my own mind. I have no idea your age or what stage of your career you're in, but I was there. If 10 years ago someone was telling me the same things I'm telling you, I'd have been highly defensive as well. And, for the same reasons I explained earlier. I read a lot, I observe a lot, and my perspective changes based on an accumulation of info that I process according to my values and morality. When I present my evolved opinion here on the matter that is critical of both sides, and not just one, I fully expect it to be attacked. I wouldn't be writing these long-winded posts if I didn't thoroughly enjoy your criticisms and finding holes in your logic. If you're 100% unwilling to condemn propaganda on both sides instead of just one, I know you're not arguing in good faith. You calling me a "stooge" or a "shill" because I don't adopt YOUR talking points and propaganda is amusing because it's glaringly hypocritical to anyone with an ounce of integrity. Those Psyops guys that you'd like for me to speak with... what exactly is their job? Is it only to identify enemy propaganda and counter it with the truth? I've known plenty of PSYOPS guys. I've dropped pallets full of the "truth" in the form of leaflets over the skies of IRQ/AFG. I'm well aware of their job and if you claim to not know that our current government aims a little propaganda our way as well, or you know it and are not also critical of it, you're being dishonest. There's a thousand reasons to love the "my" country, but that doesn't mean I can't be critical of it in the instances it falls short of my expectations. And it is "mine" no less, and no more, than it is yours or anyone else's. If your defense is so delicate that you can't accept any criticism whatsoever, nor admit any fault, you are operating in bad faith and your character is maybe a little weak. I care about Russia about as little as one possibly could. I've never mentioned or written about "Tucker". Why are you trying to inject him into the conversation? Is this a left vs right thing for you? You'll spend a thousand words decrying something being "from the Internet", "from Russia", "from Twitter", "from Tucker"....but you'll never address the content itself. It's kinda like the rainbow hair people who scream into the camera when someone asks them a simple, logical question that defeats their position. I've been asking you specific detailed questions about your position and you ever-so consistently decline to approach them. Instead, you deflect with irrelevant nonsense about "Tucker", "Soros", "Nazis", "Illuminati," "Covid", etc. Interestingly, these are all leftist criticisms. Hmm.

There are lots of examples of Ukrainians willing to fight the Russians. There are also lots of examples of Ukrainians being forcibly conscripted off the streets and being sent to the front lines with minimal or no training.

I moved the discussion to the Russian thread. Cheers.

Moved from the Chinese thread. You have a single tactic in your repertoire: "Everything I don't like is Russian propaganda". You haven't posted anything of substance to support your position and you immediately disengage from discussing actual events, specific details, and examples. If I ask you a question regarding such, you've got absolutely nothing and revert to your robotic "You. are. spreading. Russian. propaganda." Multiple sites and domains? Which ones? If you don't agree with my position, I am perfectly fine with that. You have an unlimited amount of words and space to type your rebuke. This is a fantastic place to express and articulate your beliefs, yet you don't. You seem to be more interested in silencing me than proving me wrong. That antidote to bad speech is more speech. The truth will eventually win, whatever it turns out to be. You appear to only want to take the intellectually lazy shortcut by saying "You shouldn't be speaking." The question still stands: Do you believe I should be restricted from saying the things I'm saying here because you've deemed them false propaganda and giving "aid and comfort to the enemy"? You decision to dodge that question reveals as much your answer. If you believe my argument is dumb, do you worry everyone else on this forum is dumb enough to be influenced by it? This site is filled with smart people. I trust them to form their own opinions. They don't need you and the Ministry of Truth to police the forum. What exactly do you think you're doing here? Are you gonna "humble" me with your singular superior intellectual defense of moaning about "Propaganda!" coupled with lame insults? If you think that's going to yield desirable results, better strap in for the long haul because you're gonna be here a while. LOL. By all means, keep flailing away. That's the question and the reason I posted it. Is it propaganda, or is it fact? It's a pro-Ukrainian message from a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It appears you're only able to identify propaganda when it contradicts your message. Are you so insecure in your messaging that you can't even allow yourself to acknowledge that propaganda exists on your own side, and is often even more far-fetched and ridiculous? The predicament being: If you do acknowledge it, I'm just going to give you more examples. https://twitter.com/SarahAshtonLV/status/1691105018215317504?s=20

Better said, and with more tact than I have.

Apology accepted. Don't worry about it.

Importance is subjective, by definition. Facts are not subjective. Either you don't know the definition of the word "importance", or the word "fact". Which is it? I crack myself up.

And disregarded.