gearhog

You seem to think a lot of things, and most of them untrue. Again, your preferred debate tactic is to either intentionally misconstrue or outright fabricate a position, attribute it to me, and proceed to lob darts at it. Weak. We, the United States, have expanded our global economic and military spheres of influences faster, and to a larger extent, than likely any other in history. I participated in it, as have you. I think you and I have done a lot of good in the world, but it would be intellectually dishonest for me to not also acknowledge we've overstepped many times, and also created some needless suffering. Remember Wesley Clark's claim that we had a shopping list of countries to overthrow after 9/11? We've checked them all off and have expanded the list. What about Russia? What foreign military conflicts have they engaged in around the world last 20 years that makes you believe they were capable of challenging anyone's superpower status or had any intentions of a large scale military invasion of Soviet satellites? Chechnya? Their influence has been continuously shrinking. They've thrown nearly everything at Donbass and are barely inching along. I'm sure you'll claim that "Russia was going to do this! or Russian was going to that!" But the track record to indicate such just isn't there. Compare ours. Do you think it's possible our leadership could continuously bombard you with claims of something being more dangerous than it is, fill you with fear, and convince you to allow them to aggregate vast amounts of power and wealth?... all in your best interest, of course. I think it's possible. Again with the extremes. I'm saying we need to pump the brakes, not isolate. It's as if we can no longer function as a nation unless we're in a continuous state of emergency fighting imaginary boogeymen. We have a broken foundation and until we spend our wealth and resources fixing it instead of relying on hysteria and foreign conflicts as a reason to circulate fiat currency, plunge deeper into debt, and expand our already massive empire, this only gets worse. "But imagine how much worse it would be if we didn't take these actions". Heard that before. Russia likely believes it's fighting for it's existence. What does a Russia loss look like? They have publicly asked "Why should the world exist without Russia in it?" Negotiate an end. Did the video of Zelensky rattling off a list of corporate sponsers like a NASCAR driver not give you any clue at all as to the ulterior motives that exist here? These tax dollars in these aid packages aren't being sent to Ukraine, they're being sent to the defense industry. Ukraine gets assets that are likely to depreciate to zero in .01 seconds while the cash gets deposited elsewhere: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/general-dynamics/summary?id=D000000165 Agreed. But Ukraine has repeatedly refused to even consider it.

I think the word you’re looking for is “limit”. Has that not been the central theme of my posts since this conversation began? I do have a question “Do you support negotiations to end the conflict?”

https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1617786634606628865?s=20&t=WNdiJiR3BP7FJ9fPF38eEQSuckers.

Ever heard of an "Appeal to Extremes" logical fallacy? No one advocated for nukes. As for the second part, if anything, that's the point I'm trying to make. This is not black and white, good vs. evil. This is a game of empires, power, and profit and it's naive to believe that any of us stand to gain from it.

It's the latter. You weren't communicating clearly with your run on sentences and all. How am I hiding behind a "feigned concern" for money? What other concern do you think I have? I think it's an incredibly complex issue obfuscated with fake moral indignations. You have this incredibly naive idea that our leadership are the clearly good guys and Russia is clearly evil. Good soldier. I've said it before, I don't like Russia, I don't like Putin, and I wouldn't want to live under Russian rule. But there was zero chance of that although I'm sure you'll disagree. Everyone paying attention has known for 20 years that picking off former Soviet States and satellite states for NATO membership would eventually draw a confrontation. Ukraine was a trap and Russia fell for it. This play for wealth, land, and resources. You and I are paying with our wallets and the Ukrs are paying with their lives. I didn't say you should volunteer. I'm asking how you're conflating someone volunteering with a cost burdened by NATO countries. It's as if you don't know the definition of volunteering. I've continuously asked you one question "Is there a limit?" and you simply will not answer, hiding behind accusations and dancing around the question. I won't be losing ground until I resort to petty name-calling and childish insults.

So I'm getting called out for my side-walking point attempting subterfuge to my intent? Noted. I don't like it when people make fun of grammar when engaged in a friendly debate, but I honestly can't decipher what you're trying to say here with this stream of consciousness word salad. It's probably my fault. My best guess is that you're saying there is in fact, a limit, but we should keep it secret. Good point. So if you individually volunteered to go to Ukraine, that's a cost to America? Who does your taxes? LOL No sense. You don't want to disclose your opinion as to how much or how little we should be giving them because you don't want the Russians to know. Got it. Here ya go: https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-spetsrahunok-dlya-zboru-koshtiv-na-potrebi-armiyi DM me your receipt.

Me trying to sideward advancing of the point I want to make isn't, you do. Huh? I just offered a question about giving F-16s to Ukraine. You answered and I agree. It appears that's not satisfactory. Not only need I agree, I must agree for the same reasons. However.. as you requested: I will finally come out and admit that I believe that there is a limit to the amount of military aid and debt obligations we as Americans, should assign ourselves for this conflict. Quite the revelation. Perhaps you also have a limit, I but think it's likely that you're going to defend every dollar of every forthcoming aid package up to and including aircraft because you don't want to draw a line and have it exceeded. Perhaps we could agree that there is, in fact, a monetary and material limit but we'll likely not agree what it is. There is another aspect. As many here have pointed out, NATO benefits massively from having a strategic enemy engaged in a prolonged quagmire conflict and weakened as a result. All we have to do is print the money and provide the fighting equipment, but not too much. And as others here have argued, it's quite the bargain. But who is doing the fighting? You're not. Millions of Ukrainians killed, displaced, and plunged into poverty. Ukr soldiers likely being killed at the same rate as the Russians while Rus continues to make minor advances. An economy, society, and countryside destroyed. And not a single NATO casualty. You might call that a bargain, but you shouldn't call me intellectually dishonest.

Someone really wants him gone before 2024.

Someone is unhappy with the DoD’s vaccine policy and wrote a how-to guide for anyone challenging it. https://covidpenalty.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DoD_Coast-Guard-Main-V1.pdf https://twitter.com/GodsRiddles/status/1620558634660016128?s=20&t=l5g4TXpFdzTMqyaXc0vdHg

Could I trouble you to quote the text where I made it clear that was my position and not the author’s? I’m trying to understand where your confusion lies. I don’t think it was you, but someone also recently fabricated another position and attributed it to me, just so they could attack it. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying you’re intentionally trying to escalate a conflict by knowingly making untrue claims then dunking on them with an air of moral superiority. So did you give your wife a fake Michael Kors from Chinatown or what? Oddly specific. Careful, if you don’t give your wife what she wants, someone else might.

Again, I still get the impression you think we're on opposite sides of the issue. The article makes the very same justifications as Ukrainian President Zelensky, Ukrainian gov't officials, and Ukrainian military leadership, and other world leaders have been making for Ukr getting Vipers. You think it's bullshit, and I've already said I agree. But that's the argument being made by those who think we're not doing enough. Why did I include it? So someone like yourself could call out the BS better than I could. Well done.

You can't put a price on happiness, right? I don't want to mischaracterize your position, but I think what you're saying to Zelensky's repeated requests is: 1. It takes too long to train good pilots and we choose not to spend that time and money. Shooting a missile is easier. 2. Even if we gave you aircraft, you don't have the support and you would probably fuck it up. 3. We could give you that support, but it costs too much. 4. You're doing fine. (Recent Russian advances notwithstanding) I hope you don't think I disagree with you.

What is that point? Just ballpark it. EDIT: This headline dropped in the last 10 minutes. Biden Admin. To Send Ukraine New $2.2B Aid Package That Includes Long-Range Missileshttps://breaking911.com/breaking-biden-admin-to-send-ukraine-new-2-2b-aid-package-that-includes-long-range-missiles/

That's a fair argument. I'll agree with you that $14 billion really isn't a lot of money. But if you know what isn't a lot of money, then you must also know what is. Would it be fair to say that ten times that is a lot of money? Where would you make the distinction? Slow down. It seems like you think my position is to provide Ukraine with Vipers. That's not true. I'd argue Ukraine doesn't attempt Air Superiority not because they don't believe in air platforms as part of their "military model"... but perhaps because they dont fn have any. Ukraine is absolutely begging for both ground and air equipment, specifically F-16s. Are they not fighting this war? You should be explaining to them, not me, what they do and do not need. Just tell them "Air Superiority is achievable through superior ground-based Air Defenses." I'm just curious as to the logical gynmastics required by those who want to "help" Ukraine, but not that much. https://theaviationist.com/2023/01/27/ukraine-requests-two-squadrons-of-f-16s-but-giving-vipers-to-kyiv-is-easier-said-than-done/

This article raises and interesting question. If anyone believes NATO is sincere about backing Ukraine, intending for them to win and drive Russians out, why would we send hundreds of billions of dollars in aid and ground equipment, but little for them to establish air dominance over their own territory? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/31/ukraines-tanks-will-achieve-little-without-modern-fighter-jets/ Another question, is this a legit military target while underway? https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-situation-report-m2-bradleys-have-begun-their-voyage-to-the-battlefield https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/russian-warship-armed-with-advanced-missiles-sails-into-western-atlantic-in-strategic-chess-game-1.6248491 US Treasury. LOL. https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/reports-statements/financial-report/unsustainable-fiscal-path.html

Lots of action today. This apparently is more than a slap on the wrist. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Headquarters just got smashed in Mahabad, Iran. This was the site of one of the heaviest crackdowns during the recent protests. https://twitter.com/gchahal/status/1619793176734359552?s=20&t=Ug9bHYNdfQxcLM8oe8tXlw

CIA Director Bill Burns arrived in Israel on Friday. https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-escalation-cia-chief-said-visiting-israel-west-bank/ Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will arrive in Israel tomorrow - https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-begins-middle-east-trip-amid-spate-violence-2023-01-29/ Vid of the Khoy earthquake during the strikes on Iran yesterday. Looks like the earthquake caused some electrical transformers to explode. https://twitter.com/GraduatedBen/status/1619522084346138624?s=20&t=yCwJEv6gCVydRFnFUpMPOA EDIT: Aircraft are striking multiple targets in Syria now at the same location we had aircraft over yesterday (Al-Bukamal, Syria and Al Qaim, Iraq).

And earthquakes in NW Iran at the same time. WTF? Perhaps a coincidence, but sure is bizarre. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?currentFeatureId=us6000jk1j&extent=24.8665,26.47705&extent=45.213,72.24609

It's like the Army version of the Defensive Egg.

Depends. Are the tanker guys WIC grads?

Looks like Iran is getting hit. Multiple reports of explosions in multiple locations. Unconfirmed rumors of drone strikes and Iranian jets in the air. https://twitter.com/search?q=Iran explosion&src=typeahead_click&f=live https://twitter.com/HananyaNaftali/status/1619476912664895490?s=20&t=rmhNlrszJtjHMGDxHUA9vA

Let's arm our foes with new US military equipment, and send Ukraine their old shit equipment. Another brilliant idea. "The US intends to take Soviet weapons for Ukraine from Latin American countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua or Venezuela, as long as these countries replace Soviet weapons with American ones. -US Army General Laura Richardson" https://twitter.com/PadreEmerito/status/1616755950819618822?s=20&t=KG0N9myLOcCIPwWjZ0Nttg

You're fabricating false positions and attributing them to me while admitting you don't have sufficient evidence to know if they're true. You guys suck at insults. 😄 Wow, you're smarter than you initially seem. Nothing in your post is false. You have a keen grasp of the obvious.

I think you're accusing me of "not bitching" about less important shit as if it were an insult, but who tf knows...