One week ago, people across Ukraine were living their normal lives. Going to work, cooking meals at home, seeing friends, planning for the future.
“You can’t fire me. I quit!”
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in Moscow
The Russian Civil Aviation Authority has closed off its airspace to the carriers of 36 countries, it said in a statement on Monday
According to the agency, the decision was taken in response to the bans imposed by European states on carriers or flights registered in Russia.
And believe me, Putin is an expert on an “empire of lies.” He’s built his own in Russia.
Cutting off oil exports must be next.
oh, a new thread! Is it okay for me to repost these twitter links that @castor_troy posted in the other thread? 'cause they’re that good:
Here is my current favorite:
Three cheers for hackers anonymous and causing the delay of the Russian stock market for 5 hours.
I insist, the majority of Americans are stupid…
It’s going to be tough making “empire of lies” work in 2022. The term “big lie” is popular in the USA but it’s an old one that was coined to describe the USSR’s main tool for governance. Right out of the 50’s. My father spent a lifetime spying on the USSR and used the term frequently. He admitted it worked. It kept the Russian people believing in their righteousness and how the world was victimizing them.
It’s not the 50’s anymore. Look at the pictures of the Russians queuing up at ATMs. Unless there’s background architecture in the image you’re looking it it is easy to think that pic was taken in the USA. Tennis shoes and Levis. That’s the way it is there. The people crave Western popular culture. That’s why an “Iron Curtain” was built. To keep it out and keep the Russians focused on the current big lie. But they can’t do that anymore. The internet is the antithesis of an iron curtain and it’s here. The curtain is gone. Any Russian that want’s the truth has it in his or her pocket.
The only thing Putin has is his people’s wiliness to believe him. They ALL know he’s full of shit but many will head fake themselves into feigning belief. Like a Trumper. That won’t work long run. It didn’t for Trump and it won’t in Russia. The way this things going down I expect new big lies of victory and having broken Ukraine to surface soon. If the Ukrainian;s hang on another week you can bet face saving not victory is all Putin will be about.
For the upteenth time, NATO members were not delinquent on their dues. Seems like 4 years as president were not to get that though his thick skull.
You know, I know, everyone here knows. But we’re not the crowd he’s working.
Warming up for the Opera! Me,me,me
Hope springs eternal for that pivot
Putin is actually losing this in a major way. My guess is that, in a few days (a week at most) the Russian military will collapse completely. They’re simply not going to be able to maintain their troops in a hostile foreign territory for much longer.
This catastrophic failure will have huge ramifications for the foreseeable future. China will seriously rethink whether Taiwan is worth taking after this and Putin will likely disappear completely soon. This could actually be the beginning of the end to the far right movement that’s been infecting the developed world for the last few decades.
Let’s hope.
I’d give you a like but that fact is disgusting.
He’s got that Norma Desmond vibe going now - “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”
Wallowing in pathos is not a good look for tfg. OTOH, I’ve yet to see a good look for tfg so at least he’s consistent.
It is just picking up steam here in the US.
I hope you’re correct.
So… here’s the thing… since Russian banks are mostly out of the SWIFT System, imports and exports just don’t work, anymore. No one can sell Russia anything; no one can buy anything from Russia. I suppose you could use suitcases full of cash… but… foreign money is the only money that would nominally be worth anything, now, but it’s also still useless, because Russian banks can’t do anything with it.
Russia now sits under actual. existential threat. If this goes on for much longer, Russians are going to start starving to death. (My best advice to the Russian people is to see to it that Mr. Putin catches one of those “colds” that used to get folks back in the old Soviet days.)
ETA: It’s all falling apart for Mother Russia.
