Musk Plays Both Sides

Besides sucking up to the TOFF, he's sucking up to Putin.

For national security reasons, we may need to nationalize SpaceX before he tries to move it to Brazil or some other country that he can buy.

He’s Baaaack!

Burr Deming, fresh from an attack by Russian trolls. Drop by, if you please.

H/T

Did Vladdie Just Realize That He Has a Potemkin Army?

In a strong, new warning to the West, Putin said Wednesday that any nation’s conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.

The threat, outlined in a revision of Moscow’s nuclear doctrine, was clearly aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

That's what they say, but I see something else. I think that the TOFF's boss may have finally realized that his much-vaunted military has been hollowed out by many decades of corruption and stagnant leadership. Even their self-proclaimed deterrents may not work. Russia has never adapted to more modern ways of fighting and that is why the Ukrainians, who did adapt, stopped Putin's three-day campaign to conquer Ukraine and have continued to do so. The only way the Russians have been able to make any progress is by their ancient tactic of throwing soldiers into do-or-die assaults. It may be leading to high levels of casualties unseen since the Korean war.

It is a hollow threat. The Russians have to know that a nuclear attack on a NATO nation would be answered in kind in very short order.

And then it would be game over for us all in a matter of hours. Even the über-rich wouldn't have time to flee to their bunkers. The aftermath would make Fallout look like a garden party.

The Fine Whine of Russian-Paid Trolls (and Chinese Fuckery)

A number of high-profile, conservative influencers in the US have said they are “victims” of an alleged Russian disinformation campaign, after the Biden administration accused Moscow of carrying out a sustained campaign to influence the outcome of November’s presidential elections.

Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson published statements on Wednesday evening addressing allegations that a US content creation company they were associated with had been provided with nearly $10m from Russian state media employees to publish videos with messages in favour of Moscow’s interests and agenda, including over the war in Ukraine.

The justice department indictment does not name the company, but describes it as a Tennessee-based content creation firm with six commentators and with a website identifying itself as “a network of heterodox commentators that focus on western political and cultural issues”.

That description exactly matches Tenet Media, an online company that hosts videos made by well-known conservative influencers Tim Pool, Benny Johnson and others.

Now you know why their messages have been, oh, so well-aligned with Putin's interests.

Meanwhile, China snuck an illegal agent well into New York state's government.

A former aide to two New York governors was charged Tuesday with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government who used her state positions to subtly advance Beijing’s agenda in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars.

Linda Sun, who held numerous posts in New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million home on Long Island.

And China has been trying to violently suppress protests against the Xi regime in this country:

Chinese diplomats and pro-China diaspora groups based in the United States organized demonstrations in San Francisco that harassed and silenced protesters opposed to Beijing’s policies, including through violence, during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the city in November, a six-month investigation by The Washington Post shows.

The events in San Francisco illustrate how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is willing to extend its intolerance of any dissent into the United States and target people exercising their First Amendment rights in an American city. It is part of a broader global pattern of China attempting to reach beyond its borders and suppress parts of its diaspora advocating against the CCP and ongoing rights abuses in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and mainland China, the U.S. government and human rights groups say.

The article lays out that there are a number of Chinese front groups operating in this country, including the Chinese American Federation and the American Chinese Commerce Association. If those front groups are not being investigated for being unregistered foreign agents, they should be. And same for those who were getting paid by the Russians.

MAGA, Your New Home Awaits

Russia has declared itself a “safe haven” to any “foreigners” who want to “escape” their “neoliberal” home countries.
...
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree this week which would allow foreign nationals into the country “outside the quota approved by the Russian government and without providing documents confirming their knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and basic laws”.

Applicants may apply via a simplified, expedited system and can request residency if they reject their home countries’ “destructive neoliberal ideals”.

Alex Jones is thinking of going there, leaving one question: Does he need any help packing up his shit?

Go ahead, MAGA. Take your Orange God's Master up on his offer. Go. Join this pedophile. Don't let the screen door hit you on your way out. The rest of us can set up a foundation to help pay your reasonable moving expenses.

And who knows, maybe you won't get drafted into the Red Russian army.

Fuck Mother Russia and All Who Support Her

Infidel 753 is reporting that the Russians allegedly took down the Fair and UNbalanced blog, and suggests that Putin's cyberpoodles are targeting bloggers that oppose his war of aggression and/or oppose the Asset's campaign.

If you're a liberal blogger, he recommends making yor password harder, turning on two-factor authentification and watch out for phishing attempts.

A Professional Military

When the Russians aren't engaging in terrorism by targeting children's hospitals, they're shooting up their own military columns.

it's a pretty slick, move to kill your own troops and then post it on social media, as if it is something to be proud of. when that video spreads throughout Russia, as it most certainly will, it will, no doubt, be of comfort to the family who have lost their men in Putin's war of aggression.

Another Dumbass

A US citizen has been detained in Russia for alleged violence against a police officer, local media report.

The man was arrested in a Moscow hotel on the night of 12 August after refusing to "provide identification documents", news agency Interfax said on Wednesday, citing Russia's Investigative Committee.

A criminal case has been opened against him, and he could face up to five years in prison.

At this point, any American citizen who goes to or is in Russia without diplomatic cover is a certified grade-a dumbass.

Bet Money on the Russians Doing This

France’s high-speed rail network was hit Friday with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics.

French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” though they said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games, and prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation saying the crimes could carry sentences of 15 to 20 years.

My guess is that the Russians had a hand in it, which is not just unfounded speculation, because of this:

French authorities have foiled several plots to disrupt the 2024 Olympics, including the arrest of a Russian chef involved in one of them, officials have said.
...
Paris prosecutors said on Wednesday they had arrested a 40-year-old Russian man on Tuesday at his Paris apartment on suspicion of planning to "destabilise the Olympic Games".

He was charged with "conducting intelligence work on behest of a foreign power" with an aim to "provoke hostilities in France," crimes punishable with a 30-year sentence in France, according to a statement from the Paris prosecutor's office.

A coordinated attack such as that has serious professional fingerprints. The Russians have been engaging in acts of sabotage in Europe since most nations in Europe haven't fallen on their backs to surrender to Russia's imperialist ambitions.

Russia, notwithstanding the efforts of Tuckyo Rose, J.D. Vance and Tulsi Gabbard, is a nation that is as hostile to the rest of Europe and to the U.S. as was Nazi Germany.

No Wonder Vance Wants the Ukrainians to Give Up

If this report is accurate, things are not going well for his patron's armies.

In Ukraine there is additional evidence of Russian shortages as dead Russian soldiers are found alongside their 1890s vintage Mosin-Nagant rifles. Since over 39 million of these rifles were produced between 1891 and 1973, millions of them are still in use and many are being issued to Russian soldiers sent to Ukraine.

How the bloody hell could the Russians run out of Kalashnikovs? And SkS carbines? Didn't they make tens of millions of them?

A Point About the Russian Navy

A group of Russian naval ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will visit Cuba next week as part of “historically friendly relations,” Cuba’s government said Thursday.

The Russian “frigate Gorshkov, the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the fleet oil tanker Pashin, and the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker” will visit the port of Havana between June 12 and 17, according to the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces in a statement published by the Foreign Ministry.

I've been in a fair number of naval task groups/battlegroups (I despise the newer term), both American and NATO, and at no time did we ever set out with a fucking "rescue tug". The only time one ship towed another was for training.

That the Russian Navy deploys its ships with a tug to accompany them speaks volumes about their level of readiness and maintenance.

If True, the Irony is Kilometers-Thick; Russian Ed.

I haven't taken the time to run this down, but StrategyPage is saying that the Russians are talking about giving up a vast chunk of their territory in the Far East to China, comprising 9% of Russian territory, in payment for dual-use war material supplied by China.

If it's true, the irony is rich that Russia has gone to war to try to conquer Ukraine and will lose a vast chunk of its Asian territory in the process. I doubt if that's going to go over well with the Russian nationalists, let alone the Russian people, when they figure it out.

Putin Learned a Lesson From George Bush

That is: You can blame a country not involved in a terrorist attack and use that to justify a war.

Appearing on TV on Saturday, hours after the attack that killed 137 people and wounded over 100, [Putin] sought to make it serve his political goals by alleging a link between the gunmen and Ukraine, saying the assailants planned to flee there. He made no mention of the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility, or of Kyiv’s denial of involvement.

In Russia, the media will parrot Putin's claims because they are an arm of the Russian state. In America, the media parrotted Bush's claim because of a lack of moral fibre, to use a British term.

She Is So Screwed!

Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency has arrested a woman with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship on charges of treason, accusing her of collecting money for the Ukrainian military.
...
Russia’s Federal Security Service alleges that [Ksenia] Khavana had been “proactively” raising funds for a Ukrainian organization since February 2022 — money that it says was “subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

Putin will have his pound of flesh of anyone who crosses him, whther it's a ballerina who gave a few bucks to a Ukrainian charity or a Russian pilot who defected. His forces continue to commit war crimes.

Ukraine is not done. Even though the Republican traitors and appeasers would hope they are.

(Never vote for a Republican for any office whatsoever.)

The Man That the TOFF and His Acolytes Revere Does Shit Such As This

Alexei Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died Friday in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence, Russia’s prison agency said. He was 47.

"Felt unwell after taking a walk." Right. He was out on a leisurely stroll. In the middle of winter, north of the Arctic Circle. Care to bet that his walking attire was thin (or no) shoes, a t-shirt, and pajama pants? Is there any doubt whatsoever that Putin had him killed?

Is there any doubt whatsoever that the TOFF wishes that he could do the same thing to his enemies?

I don't know why Navalny went back to Russia after Putin had him poisoned. Did he not understand the road that he was going to walk? Or did he think that his martyrdom would change things? If he thought the latter, was he delusional? Lots of political opponents have been murdered in Russian history and their deaths never resonated to make much of a difference.

Reaction elsewhere:

After poisoning, imprisoning and torturing his leading opposition leader Navalny, Putin has murdered him. Tucker never mentioned him to Putin and Trump has never uttered his name. Putin fans in America are all scum. Every last one of you. pic.twitter.com/uzJSEmEkwT

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 16, 2024

One Lesson to Relearn About Mother Russia: Her Word is No Good

The US has new intelligence on Russian military capabilities related to its efforts to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite system in space, according to multiple sources familiar with the intelligence.

The intelligence was briefed to Congress and key US allies, and some lawmakers say it is serious enough that it should be declassified and made public. While the intelligence is concerning, multiple senior members of Congress briefed on the information on Wednesday emphasized that it does not pose an immediate threat to the US or its interests.

The Outer Space Treaty, to which Russia is a signatory, bans placing nuclear weapons in space. That the Russians are looking into doing just that proves, once again, that only an utter fool places any stock in Russian promises.

Bible Mike says there is no cause to worry, that "steady hands are on the wheel". Which, given that he tanked a foreign aid bill on the TOFF's say-so and then demanded a new bill with the provisions that he already tanked, his word is no more valid than those of his Orange Master and his Orange Master's boss.

Russia's Potemkin Army?

StrategyPage posits that Russian troop numbers have been inflated, to both cover up corruption and to please Putin. They're also stating that naval officers and sailors have been sent to the front with no significant training (where they die like flies).

I'd be happy with a little indications as to sources.

Anyway, it's not like sending sailors and naval officers into a ground war hasn't been done, here.

I Just Don't Get It

As I understand it, this is what transpired when some Russian tanks found themselves in a Ukrainian minefield:

Groundhog Day!

The katsaps are still trying to push on #Synkivka in the #Kupyansk sector.

‘‘Being a katsap means doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” - Me

It is incredible to continually watch this happen. In almost any other real world,… pic.twitter.com/0L7SyWb7mu

— OSINT (Uri) 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@UKikaski) January 4, 2024

I wasn't a ground-pounder, but what I do know is that the first rule of what one does if one has blundered into a minefield is don't fucking go moving around. But these guys found themselves in one and they went driving their tanks around.

Am I wrong about not moving around in a minefield? Or are these guys badly trained?

H/T

Crybaby Russians

The Russians pummelled Ukrainian cities with various missles. So the Ukrainians hit back on one Russian city; the Russians screamed like stuck pigs and whined to the UN Security Council.

I have nothing good to say about Russia whatsoever. So I'll leave it at that.

Torture Nation, Russian Ed.

These are the people that the so-called "Freedom Caucus" are supporting.

The UN’s high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, says his office has documented at least 100 civilian deaths in Russian custody in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, including the annexed Crimea peninsula.

Citing a new UN report, Türk reported in Geneva on Tuesday that there were signs that at least 39 of the civilians had been tortured before their deaths.

None of this is any surprise. Russia is about as uncivilized a nation as there is for a country with all or part of its territory in Europe.

RobertaX remarks that Republicans are bound and determined to ignore history and play douchebag politics. I think it's worse than that, but you're familiar. But as she put it, if we get into a war with Russia, nobody's going to be sweating who crosses the Rio Grande. Hell, most people will be going the other way.