A Coup or a Cloud?

[ROB]

What's your prediction for how this Ukraine stuff ends?

[ReptilianKittenEater]

I think Putin swings a deal to save face, Zelensky stays in power.

Or maybe I have been listening to too much globalist media and have too rosy a view.

[Kurt]

What's your prediction for how this Ukraine stuff ends?

My predictions on this have sucked.

The prediction of "he wont invade invade but just place more military in the areas he already controls" was wrong.

The only thing i got right was that the Russians would encounter more resistance.

Hoping for anti Putin coup. But I think him going nuclear is just as probable.

[snaark]

Queen Lizzie will send in the Light Brigade. Huzzah!!

[el3so]

Say 3 more weeks, it fizzles out and there will be talks. Long arduous talks. Guess we're going to spend more taxes on defense, better plant some more money trees for that.

Never imagined I'd not be worried by a German politician stating they are doubling their military budget. Dunno if the whole story has enough longevity to lead to actual reforms.

[Vincent]

I think it will get very bloody for a couple of weeks, so Vlad can make some attempt to save face. Honestly amazed at how poorly the Russians performed tactically. Bad showing, but somewhat heartening.

Then it will be a negotiated settlement to return to status quo, circa 1 month ago.

Disputed areas go back to Ukraine over the next year in exchange for roll back of economic sanctions.

Power players in Moscow get the message and begin to isolate Putin, slow fade from the scene.

China enjoys new found #2 status.

[Vincent]

Funny, one of the common fights that featured here on the flag in the past was, did the Russians win WW2 or did Audie Murphy do it alone with Rambo?

And while I was most often mistakenly on the side of Audie Murphy, I have since done alot more reading and am pretty solidly on the side of much credit to the Russians.

But even further reading on teh subject developed my new thesis, which is, the Russians won WW2 by throwing 27 million lives at the Nazis, which is probably true.

But if you have 27 million lives to spare, probably anyone could have.

The Russians should not play fruitless, small wars. That's our game.

[sparrow]

10 days, give or take I think. He's running out of money and his troops, stamina. Never mind the food or fuel. Sending conscripts into a war zone without telling them seems like a rookie move too so I don't get that part at all. I hope 10 days.

And between the VPNs and open betrayal on state TV despite government machinations trying to hide the truth and making laws to suppress it, the Russian people are starting to see the real deal. And I'm guessing they don't like it. Never mind the crippling economic sanctions now in play and that's definitely going to get worse. How many people does 850+ McDonald's employ? And that's just one of the corps pulling back. Not a good look for this particular autocrat. His people get lifted out of poverty over 30 years ago and now he takes it back out of vanity? Sad, sad little fucking man.

Now the nuclear option is another consideration of course. I hope for all of us that he's not that foolish.

[vagabond]

I guess the question is: if the people of Russia suffer, does it matter to the internal stability of the Russian government? Putin has spent 22 years working this out. Even if he's "suicided" like his enemies, what does that leave behind? It could be a real opportunity for change or it could get real ugly. Probably both.

The only people really benefiting are US and European arms manufacturers, China, whoever wants to sweep in like the 90's and steal more shit from the chaos.

[el3so]

fruitless, small wars. That's our game.

"For you, the day the US military graced your country was the most important day of your life. But for us, it was Tuesday."

[ROB]

Jeesh, didn't cover yourselves in glory with these predictions here, lads.

[el3so]

No coup or cloud yet, 10 months in, guess I was about as wrong as those experts claiming Putin to be on death's door.

Funny how during an active conflict most of the stories turn out to be at best wishful thinking and at worst propaganda.

[snaark]

Queen Lizzie will send in the Light Brigade. Huzzah!!

Yeah, that aged badly. Not really the outcome I was expecting.

[Alphabet]

As long as one American kid doesn't lose his life over there, we don't get involved in WW3, and we finally stop sending money we don't have to them, I don't give a flying fuck.

In reality: we'll keep going broke over a war that isn't our business, Zelensky will flee to Geneva or Tel Aviv, and there will be some baller footage of the evacuation of Kyiv. Like, Kabul type hanging on the wheel wells of C17 Globemaster type footage.

[snaark]

As long as one American kid doesn't lose his life over there, we don't get involved in WW3, and we finally stop sending money we don't have to them, I don't give a flying fuck.

I'd call it a bargain for the American taxpayer. How many trillions has America spent over the last 75 years preparing for a war with Russia? Here you get to annihilate the Russian military for a few billion, without losing a single serving US soldier.