World War III just started

[beardownboiler]

They will be doing them now. I wonder if it will work as you thin

It may not have stopped this invasion, but the sanctions levied prior to the invasion were weak as hell. We're normalizing this kind of shit by letting Putin push his boundaries. DO SOMETHING. The "strongest condemnation" talk without action is bullshit.

 

[destewart]

That's your assumption that Putin would have attacked "regardless of our President". Usually, when a move like this is made, it's done because the aggressor doesn't feel that there is anyone with the strength & resolve to stop him.

You can try to spin it any way you want, but the reality is that Biden is perceived as weak around the world, especially after the debacle in Afghanistan. When tyrants feel their opposition is weak, they start expanding their territory. Putin took Crimea, because he thought Obama was all talk and no action and he was apparently right.

Putin didn't annex any territory, during the Trump years, because he wasn't sure what the Orange Man was capable of doing. Whether he thought Trump was strong or batshit crazy didn't matter. He didn't sense weakness, so he waited until he got Cornpop 2.0 and all he's seen so far is talk.

The similarities to 1980 are frightening. Geopolitical crisis, rampant inflation, energy crisis, President perceived as weak!

 

[VulvHa]

Remember the days when people weren’t constantly looking for an angle to have a political fight. You posted this thread so you could make statements like this…looking for that fight. Congrats.

Distant memory.

He wasn’t the one that started the political BS in this thread. Just like 99% of the time on this board, it was a right winger taking a shot and turning it political. You could at least mention both people if you want to be impartial.

 

[BoilerMadness]

Lol. You think the 20th anniversary was the factor? Like I said you know little about what the actual terms were for the withdrawal.

American lives? Exactly my point. If we had stayed we would have likely lost a lot more. We'd already lost thousands. And you don't thnk we'd lose more than 13 in a war with Russia? Lol.

Putin knows we had no appetite for conflict. He isn't wrong.

This country has no appetite for it. We're too busy tearing each other apart to be able to take on an enemy the size of Russia or China.

Jen Psaki, is that you?

With all due respect, I can't tell is your just full of crap or you're so indoctrinated, that you can't help spouting the Dem talking points? You seem to know little about anything.

You're blaming Trump and the American Citizens, but there is no accountability for Biden or the DoD, which botched this withdrawal. Interesting...

If the US needed to be out of Afghanistan in May, why were we still there until September 30th? All the same Generals, who were there for Trump were in the same positions, when Biden took over. If we needed to be out of there in May, why weren't we. All they needed was for Biden to say "Go". He didn't. Why?

Biden has been a political animal for FIVE Decades. Everything he does is processed through a political filter. He saw the political benefits of making a big deal of ending our longest war on the 20th Anniversary of that war. I'm surprised that you can't?

Where have I ever said we should put troops in Ukraine? That's stupid. I said that I would have preferred to give the $80 Billion of gear, that we left behind in Afghanistan, to the Ukrainians, rather than leave it for the Taliban.

Regarding your last sentence, I can see that you're hard at it.

 

[Joetboiler]

..... The agreement was never off the table or renegotiated. In fact former President Trump even aluded to this fact in a statement on June 26, 2021. During the middle of the final withdrawal.

June 26, 2021 — At a rally in Ohio, his first since leaving office, Trump boasts that Biden can’t stop the process he started to remove troops from Afghanistan, and acknowledges the Afghan government won’t last once U.S. troops leave.

“I started the process,” Trump says. “All the troops are coming back home. They [the Biden administration] couldn’t stop the process. 21 years is enough. Don’t we think? 21 years. They couldn’t stop the process. They wanted to, but it was very tough to stop the process when other things… It’s a shame. 21 years, by a government that wouldn’t last. The only way they last is if we’re there. What are we going to say? We’ll stay for another 21 years, then we’ll stay for another 50. The whole thing is ridiculous. … We’re bringing troops back home from Afghanistan.”

So yeah, even Trump through the summer of 2021 was still boasting about his deal with the Taliban, and how Biden couldn't stop it. He wanted all the credit, but then .... not surprisingly wanted to quickly erase that history 6 weeks later after Americans lost their shit because we were not given a hero's send-off in August.

Also, just a reminder that by January 15, 2021 we only had 2,500 remaining troops left in Afghanistan. That wasn't going to be enough to do much of anything from a strategic perspective. So if the US wanted strategic goals accomplished (eg retaining bases, withdrawing equipment, etc) it should have done that prior to this point)

Jan. 15, 2021 — “Today, U.S. force levels in Afghanistan have reached 2,500,” Miller, the acting defense secretary, says in a statement. “[T]his drawdown brings U.S. forces in the country to their lowest levels since 2001.”

After January 15th, 2021, the US at that point was extremely reliant on the 300,000 Aghan security force -- which rolled over in the early summer of 2021. It's that last fact that made the withdrawal chaotic. But the US was too far committed to the withdrawal at that point. Americans (including the Biden administration) were never going to support a troop level increase in 2021.

The only way out was to see the withdrawal through to the end.

Good job cutting and pasting from a left wing website that keeps regurgitating the same talking points. In 2017 the withdraw got taken off the table. The last agreement should have as well because the Taliban violated it.

And nowhere did you show me that the last administration would be see dumb as to abandon the most strategic airbase in the country and decide to remove most of its forces BEFORE the civilians. And opt to have the withdraw happen at urban airport in a bowl surrounded by the enemy. And whoever F’d this up still has a job.

Oh. Can you show me where the previous administration also promised to leave the enemy 80 billion in military equipment. Do you have a speech on this?

As for our allies. Here is something MSNBC probably didn’t tell you (you sound like their greatest clips). Our President was held in contempt by the British parliament for his actions. Get that into your head. Our closest ally held our President in contempt for F’ing then, When has that ever happened? George Washington.?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/08/18/parliament-holds-joe-biden-contempt-afghanistan/

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-the-papers-58264267

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Russia invading Ukraine has more to do with access to the natural resource wealth in eastern Ukraine (oil and natural gas and ore). Obtaining those oil fields gives them access to immense wealth in the immediate timetable for them to continue building up their military strength which was incredibly weak up until their invasion of Georgia a number of years ago, imo. The USA and NATO turning a blind eye to that test of Russian force is what led us to today (and also to Crimea) is what led us to today...that is largely on the heels of President Trump easing sanctions that were in place against Russian Oligarchs in 2018.

If you want, look at the military movements by Russia in Ukraine and overlay this map of natural resources in Ukraine...I would bet to guess they align with the taking and controlling of massive deposits of natural resources.

 

[BoilerMadness]

Climate change is the biggest threat. Not China. Not Russia. Didn't you get the memo?

Yup, indoctrination is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

 

[Purdue4Life]

Jen Psaki, is that you?

With all due respect, I can't tell is your just full of crap or you're so indoctrinated, that you can't help spouting the Dem talking points? You seem to know little about anything.

You're blaming Trump and the American Citizens, but there is no accountability for Biden or the DoD, which botched this withdrawal. Interesting...

If the US needed to be out of Afghanistan in May, why were we still there until September 30th? All the same Generals, who were there for Trump were in the same positions, when Biden took over. If we needed to be out of there in May, why weren't we. All they needed was for Biden to say "Go". He didn't. Why?

Biden has been a political animal for FIVE Decades. Everything he does is processed through a political filter. He saw the political benefits of making a big deal of ending our longest war on the 20th Anniversary of that war. I'm surprised that you can't?

Where have I ever said we should put troops in Ukraine? That's stupid. I said that I would have preferred to give the $80 Billion of gear, that we left behind in Afghanistan, to the Ukrainians, rather than leave it for the Taliban.

Regarding your last sentence, I can see that you're hard at it.

Look what you all have done. You have brought BoilerMadness' GD board personality out when he posts completely normal on here.

 

[nat100]

Look what you all have done. You have brought BoilerMadness' GD board personality out when he posts completely normal on here.

He does?

 

[East Oak Street]

I hope the troops are wearing masks and vaccinated, it’s important that this invasion of Ukraine doesn’t spread covid.

 

[BleedinGold]

I never said it wasn't a global issue. I think your partially correct and also partially incorrect. Yes, the US doesn't import much from Russia but its 500K bbls but it's up 500% .

That extra 400K bbls isn't because we have to get that from Russia, it's because economics for the refineries made sense for it to get it from there.

Energy independence, to me, means we are not required to import energy from anyone and the US can control our own pricing..this was happening 18 months ago and costs globally, were far less for everyone.

We have imported millions of bbls of oil every single year, and have never stopped.

The only difference was that our exports overtook our imports starting in 2019.

The US cannot control its own pricing. We're not Saudi Arabia where the government can just turn on and off production as it pleases.

US production is controlled by global corporations. They will produce what is profitable. No company in the US controls enough production to move prices on their own by turning off and on wells. They are all moving to the markets and the supply/demand economics.

In the US much of the known reserves ARE govt owned and exploration and leases ARE govt controlled. These leases and exploration/drilling rights are not being renewed along with govt control of pipelines creates a shortage in supply.

Correct.

But as we already stated allowing global corporations to produce more oil at home doesn't mean the oil stays here. It would still get exported (just like it did in 2019 and 2020).

What these reserves allow us to do is to have flexibility. We haven't had that flexibility for 50 years because we didn't have access to those reserves (didn't know about them or couldn't reach them) and thus we were left to the whims of the middle east and Russia.

We aren't nearly as reliant on that anymore because we can open up more leasing as we see fit.

I don't think we opening up our reserves just so global companies can export the resources overseas is enough of a reason.

It needs to be balanced.

In regards to pipelines ... most usually refer to Keystone pipeline (not saying you are), but let's recognize the fact that the Keystone pipeline was prosed so we could IMPORT more oil from Canada. That doesn't help our energy independence. It just makes it cheaper for a global corporation to import oil from another country than it would be to produce that same oil here at home. Pipelines, like Keystone, make companies richer, it doesn't make us more energy independent.

18 months ago the US was flooding the market with oil and gas and supply was greater than demand, bring down price globally.Not the case now

Yep. Part of that was because it took a bit for production to match the cliff in consumer demand from the pandemic. In 2020 we shut down as a country and that left a lot of tapped wells and already produced oil that then wasn't needed. That glut drove down prices at home and also made our resources more attractive to be purchased by other countries that we're buying it from places like Russia and the Middle East.

You are also correct on Europe. They made a poor choice, depending on Russia/Ukraine for energy and now everyone will pay the price.

Agreed.

 

[EdwardElric]

a friendly reminder that if you talk to someone who unironically believes that Putin invaded Ukraine because of their unrelated American political grievances, they are an absolute clown

 

[LSLBoiler]

a friendly reminder that if you talk to someone who unironically believes that Putin invaded Ukraine because of their unrelated American political grievances, they are an absolute clown

This. All day long

 

[BoilerMadness]

Umm dude we still are energy independent. And we still don't import much from Russia or the Ukraine.

That's not why energy prices have spiked at home.

It's because other countries have a reliance on Ukrainian and Russian resources and without access to them they will need to buy the limited resources from someone else. This drives up demand and thus increases the costs for everyone.

US energy companies are GLOBAL companies and thus are impacted by global demand for those US resources.

No reason for a global company to sell in the US for cheaper when they can ship those resources overseas for a premium.

Your issue is with global economics. Unlike in Russia the US energy reserves are not government-owned.

Your first two sentences are contradictory and monumentally stupid. Before Biden, when we were Energy Independent, we were net exporters of Oil/Gas. Now we're importing it and Biden was kissing Opec's backside to get them to produce more. How do the Squad and the other Climate Warriors rationalize importing oil, rather than just using our own? Perhaps, anything that hurts the US makes them happy, or so it seems.

Meanwhile, as Oil prices push $100/barrel, we're importing oil, instead of exporting it and Russia makes more money to finance their war. Good work Joe.

Your ability to rationalize Biden's incompetence is unparalleled.

You seem to forget that among Biden's first acts, he cancelled the Keystone Pipeline, cancelled oil drilling/exploration on Government land and shut down Anwar in Alaska. That's a lot of oil being removed from the supply line, yet you can't figure out how that might make the price go up. The basic concept of supply/demand seems to be over your head.

Now, Biden's tapping the Strategic Oil Reserve, which was created for national emergencies, but Clinton and Biden have both tapped it for Political emergencies, when gas prices went up in an election year. You can't make this stuff up...LOL

Regarding your point about Global Economics, if we're producing & exporting more oil & gas, that increases the supply and lowers the price. Biden's policies reduced the amount of Oil & Gas we can produce, which raises the price. We agree, but you're in denial about Biden's part in why prices are so much higher. Part of it is the economy expanding, as we come out of Covid, and the other part is Biden bowing to the Climate Radicals and trying to suppress oil production prematurely.

 

[boilerking12]

Friendly reminder that Donald Trump and Republicans are openly supporting Russia. Trump thinks Putin is savvy and super smart for attacking free people. If you support 45, you are a disgrace to our country.

 

[ptree06]

He wasn’t the one that started the political BS in this thread. Just like 99% of the time on this board, it was a right winger taking a shot and turning it political. You could at least mention both people if you want to be impartial.

I was eventually gonna say this, but you said it perfectly. Well done.

 

[TC4THREE]

Friendly reminder that Donald Trump and Republicans are openly supporting Russia. Trump thinks Putin is savvy and super smart for attacking free people. If you support 45, you are a disgrace to our country.

What does Trump have to do with this? He's not President.

 

[beardownboiler]

Look what you all have done. You have brought BoilerMadness' GD board personality out when he posts completely normal on here.

What? Dude posted in KHC about how Google is trying to keep him from watching Dan Bongino. He regularly posts about how immigrants are pouring over our borders to spread COVID-19. This isn't new.

 

[boilerking12]

Yup, indoctrination is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

Madness, you tried to claim the Jan. 6 coup was a peaceful protest. Let’s not act like you have any real credibility for political discussions.

 

[reliobcn]

The similarities to 1980 are frightening. Geopolitical crisis, rampant inflation, energy crisis, President perceived as weak!

No question there are similarities. Yet, the ramifications for this president started long before the mere 380-whatever days he's been in office.

So, let's stop the Fox News talking points of this thread. It's time for bipartisan cooperation and leadership. This Putin move is certainly not "Genius," it was an affront to democracies everywhere.

 

[ptree06]

OP can’t handle our bball success so this is the only way he can draw attention to himself.

When you post daily threads on parlays you won, or nice golf courses you recently played, are you not drawing attention to yourself?

I post about world affairs, you post about yourself only. Reflect on your hypocrisy and report back on your journey of self improvement.

 

[jrcrist]

Friendly reminder that Donald Trump and Republicans are openly supporting Russia. Trump thinks Putin is savvy and super smart for attacking free people. If you support 45, you are a disgrace to our country.

Jfc that’s about as dishonest a take as I’ve seen on these boards. You’ve left out quite a bit from those comments and cherry picked a couple words to try to spin the truth. But why should anyone expect less from some.

 

[LSLBoiler]

There is NOTHING that can stop Putin from installing a puppet government in Ukraine at this point.
This invasion was inevitable and impossible to stop.

 

[boilerking12]

Jfc that’s about as dishonest a take as I’ve seen on these boards. You’ve left out quite a bit from those comments and cherry picked a couple words to try to spin the truth. But why should anyone expect less from some.

Uh, no. Here’s the quote:

“Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”

 

[LSLBoiler]

Jfc that’s about as dishonest a take as I’ve seen on these boards. You’ve left out quite a bit from those comments and cherry picked a couple words to try to spin the truth. But why should anyone expect less from some.

That poster is a fool. Don’t engage

 

[Mesh]

There’s the Trumper, right on time.

Let me know how many other world leaders end up fighting Russia militarily on this. It will be zero, because in reality nobody gives a shit.

I guess Trump should rule the entire world since everyone else is a pussy (except comrade Putin of course).

The problem,is: It shouldn't have ever came to this. These are the results of being soft. But, who cares right?? You need to change your name to Neville Chamberlain

 

[ptree06]

There is NOTHING that can stop Putin from installing a puppet government in Ukraine at this point.
This invasion was inevitable and impossible to stop.

Impossible to stop is a stretch. Many countries could stop him, but nobody has the will.

Nobody wants to find out how a nuclear power losing a war will react.

 

[BoilerMadness]

Right, because Trumptard was so "tough on Russia". Gimme a break.

You're ignorance is causing you to embarrass yourself.

Trump placed the toughest sanctions on Russia, since Reagan. Trump stopped the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from being completed, which cut off a lucrative source of income to Russia. This raises a question about Nord Stream 2. Why would Angela Merkel want to make Germany dependent on Russian energy? Thank God she's no longer in charge in Germany.

FYI, one of Biden's first acts was to approve completion of Nord Stream 2, which helps Russia.

It's humorous how the Left has continuously told us that Trump was Putin's puppet and Biden was going to be tough on him. Yet Trump put heavy sanctions on Putin and stopped NS 2, which hurt Russia and Biden reinstated NS 2, which helped Russia. Hmmm?

 

[ptree06]

The problem,is: It shouldn't have ever came to this. These are the results of being soft. But, who cares right?? You need to change your name to Neville Chamberlain

Give us the solution tough guy. And let me know how many other tough guys like you are running other countries and stopping Putin.

 

[LSLBoiler]

Impossible to stop is a stretch. Many countries could stop him, but nobody has the will.

Nobody wants to find out how a nuclear power losing a war will react.

Which military force can stop it? Don’t be stupid

 

[PurdueFan1]

Give us the solution tough guy. And let me know how many other tough guys like you are running other countries and stopping Putin.

You won’t get one. You’ll just get the standard Biden is weak and that Trump would have never allowed this. Straight up lifted from Fox, etc.

 

[BSIT]

Who cares about Trump? He's not president.

Sadly TDS is alive and well

 

[LSLBoiler]

Now that this thread has been moved to The Island of Misfit Toys it will die

 

[BSTJim]

There is NOTHING that can stop Putin from installing a puppet government in Ukraine at this point.
This invasion was inevitable and impossible to stop.

Be great when Putin declares the Baltic States as a security threat to Russian ports. The world has a great history of dealing with Totalitarianist dictators.

 

[jrcrist]

Uh, no. Here’s the quote:

“Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”

Try again. Here is the full transcript. Nowhere is he supporting Putin or his move into Ukraine. He even talks about how it would never happen under his watch. He describes that from Putin’s perspective it was a smart move as he is going to play the role of peacekeeper, which he then sarcastically comments about the number of tanks Putin brings in to keep peace. Saying something was smart or that someone is savvy isn’t the same as supporting them or their actions, but I suspect you know that.

Full Interview: President Trump with C&B from Mar-a-Lago

PRESIDENT TRUMP: The polls for me have never been higher. And I guess against Biden, but who wouldn't be winning?

www.clayandbuck.com

 

[BoilerMadness]

I would have been fine with sanctions right away but two things: one, we might have been the only country to do that when we need to be aligned with our allies. Two, the rest of your statements about how sanctions earlier would have ended it before it began is pure conjecture on your part. You have no idea. We aren’t dealing with a rational person in Putin here.

That's possible, but I suspect that we would have gotten a lot of support from our NATO allies, since they are a lot closer to the front lines, than we are.

Granted, Putin isn't the most stable person in the world, but he's not stupid and he wants to remain in power as long as possible. If we put strong enough sanctions on Russia that pinched the Oligarchs, Putin may have gotten internal pressure to pull back.

In war, there is nothing more useless than a bullet left in the magazine, when your position is overrun and you get killed. Biden is like Barney Fife fumbling around in his pocket, trying to find his bullet.

Sanctions work best, if used early to deter unwanted conduct. It's like explaining to children what will happen, if they misbehave. Then having the will to follow through, if they do.

 

[MilwaukeeBoilerFan]

I hope the troops are wearing masks and vaccinated, it’s important that this invasion of Ukraine doesn’t spread covid.

True. Plus, we are willing to save Ukraine's border while foregoing our own!

 

[boilerking12]

Try again. Here is the full transcript. Nowhere is he supporting Putin or his move into Ukraine. He even talks about how it would never happen under his watch. He describes that from Putin’s perspective it was a smart move as he is going to play the role of peacekeeper, which he then sarcastically comments about the number of tanks Putin brings in to keep peace. Saying something was smart or that someone is savvy isn’t the same as supporting them or their actions, but I suspect you know that.

Full Interview: President Trump with C&B from Mar-a-Lago

PRESIDENT TRUMP: The polls for me have never been higher. And I guess against Biden, but who wouldn't be winning?

www.clayandbuck.com

Here we go. Republican spin time!

 

[Mesh]

Give us the solution tough guy. And let me know how many other tough guys like you are running other countries and stopping Putin.

Like I said this is a result of weakness. Well, its wimps like you that dont know the answer...so you are sarcastic to people like me for the answers....and then You will be sarcastic towards my answers because You will sit on the sideline and make fun of others like an Fn loser that You are!! You punch the bully in the face Its always been peace through strength. So we should have been building up in democratic countries. Also, you make it known,that there will be military retaliation for any unruliness.
You might nit like Trump....and he came off rough and gruff....but Putin wasnt going to do anything with him in office, North Korea disappeared, China was sucking wind with the tariffs and therefore Covid appeared....you had several Arab countries sign peace deals with the Israel. Those are facts.
Remember Dont let tour mouth write a check your aas cant cash

 

[PurdueFan1]

Here we go. Republican spin time!

Just an FYI, jr believed with every fiber in his being that the MyPillow guy was going to provide the evidence that would overturn the 2020 election. That’s who you’re dealing with here.