Probably a bit more than you. Please refrain from " you are aware" posts. they’re snotty. Obama did not provide lethal aid but he provided tons of support aid. Humvees, radios and the like. The EU saw it as not worth it. In time it was going to be Russian again. Over blood or not.
Nobody wanted to escalate the Crimea mess. Russia wanted it for all of time and for all intents and purposes it was theirs all along. They spoke Russian there for a reason. So let it go.
Please. Lets not do too much NYT/ WaPo and blog stuff today.
Look, let me be brief since so many people seems to know so much about a part of the world they’ve never been nearer than 5000 miles: a bunch of folks in the old USSR want to go back to that life. Go to the Czech Republic or Ukraine and into the rural areas., They want to go back to that guaranteed substance lifestyle. The last cab driver I had in Prague went on and on about how great it was. The % like that in Crimea was very high. That’s why Russia could pull it off. Go there. Talk to them. Most of Eastern Ukraine wants back under Russia’s apron as well. Go there.
Have you ever seen a man die from a carotid artery hit? Ill bet not. Ill bet you never saw jack other than your safe little life here in the USA, Right? From what position of experience do you speak?
I don’t think TPM is the place to swap war stories especially with someone I don’t like but I assure you I’ve seen my share of drastic amputations (single and double), sucking chest wounds, sniper kills, napalm charred bodies, someone after a direct hit from an RPG, someone burning from a white phosphorus grenade, etc, etc, I’ve put friends and pieces of friends in body bags but I’ve never seen anyone bleeding to death from a severed carotid artery taking the time to wash blood from a picture. Maybe he thought fuck it, though, and stopped clutching his pumping neck wound and thought he’d get one last clear view of his wife and kid and reached out and took the canteen and rinsed it off. Nor have I seen anyone do anything but kill any enemy who fired on them. I guess we just weren’t a compassionate group in 1968-69. As far as service ribbons and other military do-dads I don’t put much stock in them. I am proud to have worn the Navy Marine Corps gold wings though and I use the honor graduate trophy I received at Fort Benning jump school as a door stop for my bathroom. I do, also, appreciate the submariners’ badge I traded an army jump wings for while out on a training swim before they dropped us off about 8 miles from shore. Who in the fuck would want to keep Army wings when I knew I was scheduled to make enough jumps to get my gold wings as soon as we got back to shore?
As far as the tough beard guy avatar I used it because I thought it gave me that distinguished Kris Kristoferson look. You have me all wrong, Shitbird.
Sucking chest wounds? Sniper kills? That’s war movie Rambo talk. NO ONE that’s been there and done that talks like that. Listen dude you are out of your league. Stop it. Direct hit by RPG? Willie Pete? You got to be kidding. How about just being shot? That’s how most go. Go away Rambo. You can’t play that silly yak game with me.
BTW…can you cite the time in my “hero talk” I used anything like that ridiculous shit you just tried to pass? JFC!
I really don’t understand why you’re so hellbent on claiming that Zelensky wasn’t and didn’t feel desperate to get US military aid to keep fending off Russia. IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH HAVING AN INSULAR, FISH-DON’T-KNOW-THEY’RE-WET, HIGH OPINION OF THE U.S. It has 100% to do with Ukraine’s struggle to fend off the real and imminent threat Russia presents and all the evidence suggesting that, despite Zelensky putting a nice face on it while seated next to his blackmailer on TV, he and the rest of his administration were indicating to the diplomatic corps that they’d bend over backwards to get that damn aid.
Trump could throw Crimea to Russia any time he wants and the monkeys you’re watching defend him with a storm of poop flinging would still be defending him with a storm of poop flinging. HE HANDED THE KURDS TO A GENOCIDAL TURKISH DICTATOR AND THEY STILL SUCKED HIS BALLS DRY. There is absolutely nothing Trump could possibly do under any circumstances that would see them turn on him…other than become a threat to establishment of their permanent minority-rules white Christian hegemony, and that’s not happening because the more gaslighting and lawlessness they can hep him get away with, the closer he is bringing them to their goal.
Moreover, your expectation that Zelensky and his administration would have that kind of read on INTERNAL American politics, such that they would confidently tell Trump and his entire cabal of backchannel conspirators to go fuck themselves over military aid they desperately need is somewhat silly. They were clearly being told, by people in power and the most powerful person on the planet, that they needed to jump “this high” to get their aid. In their position, you don’t call bluffs, betting that you know U.S. politics and what the GOP’s turning point is better than their KKKult leader. And how long would all that take to play out while Ukraine is left still waiting for the aid? Please. They were in no position to play bully with Trump. None.
I really don’t understand why you’re so hellbent on claiming that Zelensky wasn’t and didn’t feel desperate to get US military aid to keep fending off Russia.
Hey…I’m expressing my continuing confusion with his position, not laying in with ad hominem. Let’s play hard, but nice.
Also, the dick measuring contest over your respective service records disrespects the service you both gave us. It’s hard to thank either of you for it when you’re going at it like that.
