Ukraine

[Farmdog]

Anybody in the area? Just curious how far we have fallen from warzone participation since 2005.

[Kurt]

Don't know anyone there.

But I actually agree with Trump on this one. It's Europe's problem.

I'm cool with sanctions though, but again Europe can hit them harder with sanctions than the US can.

The wars we win will be the wars we don't fight in. Russia sucks at occupation anyway and they know it.

[snaark]

But I actually agree with Trump on this one. It's Europe's problem.

Russia = NATO's problem

Don't like it, feel free to abdicate from your global hegemony. Trump tried to.

[Farmdog]

Interesting that no one is actively there. I'm staying out of the political who done it, but I have to say it-

PUTIN DENIES IT!

[Kurt]

But I actually agree with Trump on this one. It's Europe's problem.

Russia = NATO's problem

Don't like it, feel free to abdicate from your global hegemony. Trump tried to.

That is a problem. The reality is that expectation of duty creates reality. NATO was literally designed to take on Russia and it was literally designed to be lead by the USA, which is now an unstable democracy that is massively in debt.
If I was a Western European I am not sure I would feel too good about the situation, but Biden seems to be handling it okay.
But still, military threat to Western expansion by a natural gas producer? European problem. Especially if that threatening gas producer has fanbois that have won elections within NATOs leader.

[snaark]

An energy crisis in Europe is an European problem, sure. But Putin having the balls to invade another country unless NATO basically turns back the clock to 1990 is definitely the US's problem. The world benefits from US hegemony, but the US benefits most of all. That requires occasionally having to show feckless EU countries how to act.

[Kurt]

An energy crisis in Europe is an European problem, sure. But Putin having the balls to invade another country unless NATO basically turns back the clock to 1990 is definitely the US's problem. The world benefits from US hegemony, but the US benefits most of all. That requires occasionally having to show feckless EU countries how to act.

I can understand that, but this also will fall again into a Trump like person's hands when they start sending bills to countries without as much Feck as the USA has. Russia and China's SPAM based foreign policy can divide Democratic governments with little effort and little cost. I think it would benefit both the US and Western Europe to get some plans together besides "Let's rely on the US"

I do think that Bolton's assessment that Russia would be in Kiev now if Trump had one is correct, but I think that should be a wake up call to the rest of NATO to plan for the "Trump After Trump" (who will be worse than Trump)

[Kurt]

I guess with Cyberwarfare I am about as close to the front lines (my desk in my basement) as anyone else on the BFC is.

So far the stuff I am protecting is not getting hit. But Web based stuff is, typically attempts at defacement etc. The guess is that if it was really serious we would be seeing more infrastructure based attacks but so far so good (or else, even more frightening...it means I am missing something)

[snaark]

For sure Bolton is right. The Trump years were open season for despots everywhere. I guess Putin assumed the USA post Trump was still too dysfunctional and too disinterested in foreign affairs to respond in a meaningful way. He misjudged. Maybe he'll back down because he realises it'll be much easier in 2025 with President DeSantis.

[el3so]

Whole covid19 thing dominated local media. Looks like another of those "WW3 (again) didn't start (yet)" episodes.

Hope they are feeding you well, Farmdog!

[Farmdog]

Whole covid19 thing dominated local media. Looks like another of those "WW3 (again) didn't start (yet)" episodes.

Hope they are feeding you well, Farmdog!

Thanks man, the dog is on the porch for now, just worried about what happens if this turns into a home game for cyber. Nobody gets the gap that is opening in the workforce, old cats who built OT aren't being replaced. IT isn't OT, but folks can't understand that.

[el3so]

political who done it

That whole color revolutions thing happened under a Democratic state dept, no? ;-)

[Tarkan]

An energy crisis in Europe is an European problem, sure. But Putin having the balls to invade another country unless NATO basically turns back the clock to 1990 is definitely the US's problem. The world benefits from US hegemony, but the US benefits most of all. That requires occasionally having to show feckless EU countries how to act.

The problem with that calculus is Germany - in their zeal to get off nuclear and coal power have left themselves at the mercy of Russian gas exports. So Germany will not oppose Russia or support NATO opposing Russia to the extent that the gas could be cut off.

The other problem is that Biden is an incredibly weak President (and probably compromised) and the administration is full of incompetent whose only real skill is lying and not being Trump and so leaders like Putin and Xi Jinping are salivating at the chance to make major moves.

I would not be surprised in the least if China moves on Tawain in the next few months.

[Tarkan]

For sure Bolton is right. The Trump years were open season for despots everywhere. I guess Putin assumed the USA post Trump was still too dysfunctional and too disinterested in foreign affairs to respond in a meaningful way. He misjudged. Maybe he'll back down because he realises it'll be much easier in 2025 with President DeSantis.

Um...I think you guys are confused. Putin didn't make any major moves during the Trump administration aside from a Russian mercenary battalion attacking a US outpost in Syria which got wiped out by US airpower. Crimea was annexed under Obama's watch. Russia invaded Georgia under Bush's watch. He depopulated Chechnya under Clinton.

And the US hasn't responded in any meaningful way to Russia threatening to invade Ukraine aside from some hysterics.

[snaark]

riiiiiiight... so anyway apparently in Russian "withdrawing" has the same meaning as "continue doing what everyone knows you're doing". I can see how that could lead to a lot of confusion. Are your parents Russian by any chance, Tarkan?