War with Russia

[First Aspect]

Which liar is telling the truth?

 

[First Aspect]

Just watched a piece about the Intel and the threat of switching off Intel.

As usual, it's not so back and white and there is no 'switch'. Sure, the US can switch off their intel.

'Intel' is a patchwork of current targets, cyber information, movement of personnel etc etc It is multifaceted.. Oil refineries don't move. Ukraine knows where they are. Ukraine knows where the data centres are and where the factories are.
The US paused Intel in 2025 - it didn't really hit the headlines as Ukraine has been been budling bridges and sharing information with France, UK, Finland and Japan ever since as leaning on one source so heavily puts you at risk.
In fact, as a slight digression, Musk has been begging the Indian govt. to buy Starlink access.

Elon Musk publicly criticized the Indian government and billionaire Mukesh Ambani on X, accusing them of delaying Starlink's commercial launch for over four to five years to protect a telecom monopoly.

However, as soon as they saw Musk shutting off Starlink, the Indian govt. said no. They did not want to be defenceless at the flick of a switch.

The Finns have the ICC satellite system, the French and UK have their own and the Japanese have ISQS, the Germans have also got a network.
Where the current switch off of Starlink really matters, is live targets - ships, boats, defence systems, missile launchers - stuff that moves and of course, tracking of incoming missiles.
The fixed physical targets will always be there and Ukraine should be able to continue hitting them.
We hope that this pause is temporary. It also may backfire on the Americans who are using Ukrainian intelligence to defend targets in the gulf plus there are thousands of Americans in Ukraine who have now become more vulnerable.

Neither Starlink nor Starshield have been made available in Russia, so it doesn't directly do anything to protect the US ally's diesel production and storage facilities.

I think the main impact is on air defence, and thus civilian casualties within Ukraine.

 

[briantrumpet]

Now they are just having a laugh.

 

[secretsqirrel]

Now they are just having a laugh.

View attachment 17772

Would that be a vehicle parked in a layby?

 

[briantrumpet]

Obviously Bluesky is watching NCAP.

 

[Pinno718]

Neither Starlink nor Starshield have been made available in Russia, so it doesn't directly do anything to protect the US ally's diesel production and storage facilities.

Good point.

A similar vein to Iran: Iran needs oil sales as much as we need oil so approx. 8.5m barrels a day is getting through a opposed to 19m per day*.
As opposed to the idea presented as fact that the straits are closed.

*Yes, I know the caveat is the destination.

 

[Psamathe]

I would have hoped that Putin would have noted NATO's refusal to get involved in Trümp's Iranian war as a clear signal that NATO is totally focused on being a defensive organisation and won't get involved in preemptive aggression (not even when under pressure from a major NATO member).

 

[briantrumpet]

I would have hoped that Putin would have noted NATO's refusal to get involved in Trümp's Iranian war as a clear signal that NATO is totally focused on being a defensive organisation and won't get involved in preemptive aggression (not even when under pressure from a major NATO member).

But that would undermine his argument for invading Ukraine. Ergo...

 

[Pblakeney]

I would have hoped that Putin would have noted NATO's refusal to get involved in Trümp's Iranian war as a clear signal that NATO is totally focused on being a defensive organisation and won't get involved in preemptive aggression (not even when under pressure from a major NATO member).

Putin will have observed, and ignored.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Obviously Bluesky is watching NCAP.

View attachment 17777

I have always thought that amongst the dwindling numbers still dreaming of a socialist utopia in this country there are many who still cling to the idea of Russia as a socialist state after the revolution despite its quick fall from those ideals and change into authoritarian state capitalism.

 

[briantrumpet]

I have always thought that amongst the dwindling numbers still dreaming of a socialist utopia in this country there are many who still cling to the idea of Russia as a socialist state after the revolution despite its quick fall from those ideals and change into authoritarian state capitalism.

Just looking up the BBC sitcom Citizen Smith, I came across the reference to (possibly) a real-life inspiration for it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers'_Institute_of_Marxism–Leninism–Mao_Zedong_Thought

Seems that it was more Maoist though.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I was out for a ride this morning, part of which was due to involve passing the front of the Senedd building. When I got there it was blocked because of a visit by Charlie to officially open the new term. As well as the police and military there was the obligatory demo and to my amusement there was one amongst their number waving a huge hammer and sickle flag. Power to the people!

 

[briantrumpet]

It certainly seems like something has shifted: not only did Zelenskyy openly criticise the now-clear alliance between Trump and Putin, but he seems to have stopped trying to appease Trump at last. Seems fair.

 

[Ian H]

He was pro-EU before Russian pressure.
Ukraine was pro-EU.
He brought the problems on himself and fled to Russia.
Yet another example of Russia interfering with another country’s politics.
What was your initial point?

He was head of a pro-Russian party. It's likely that any pro-EU noises were simply to get himself elected, and alignment with Russia was always the plan. The Ukrainian parliament might have gone along with it until the riots known as the Maidan Revolution.

 

[Ian H]

I was out for a ride this morning, part of which was due to involve passing the front of the Senedd building. When I got there it was blocked because of a visit by Charlie to officially open the new term. As well as the police and military there was the obligatory demo and to my amusement there was one amongst their number waving a huge hammer and sickle flag. Power to the people!

There are still about. The North Devon Communists turned up to the last Palestine demo/march in Exeter, carrying a large banner. It was nice to see them.