Ukraine - somebody explain to me

[Jeff Lebowski]

This guy confirms my biases and argues how and why some media outlets (NYT for example) sometimes overstate Russian progress. Not out of bias, but because they tend to focus on missile strikes, apartments getting blown up, etc without putting these events in the full context of the war. Interesting thread.

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[Bo Diddley]

I'm skeptical but intrigued.

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[Bo Diddley]

This guy confirms my biases and argues how and why some media outlets (NYT for example) sometimes overstate Russian progress. Not out of bias, but because they tend to focus on missile strikes, apartments getting blown up, etc without putting these events in the full context of the war. Interesting thread.

Russia's progress is coming at a very high price--a high price for both sides of this war. Russia is paying economically, high attrition, and politically. Ukraine is paying a high civilian toll.

Ukraine has won the PSYOPs war, and is winning politically. Their defense to date is a huge military win. I think they will continue to force Russia to pay a very high price to continue to slowly take territory, leveling the cities as they go.

[Omaha 680]

Mariupol is in the South and near the Russian border and surrounded by Russian troops. They are having no problems resupplying in that area. Totally plausible. Put them on a train to Russia.

Ok makes more sense then. My lack of knowledge of Ukrainian geography is showing.

[Bo Diddley]

Do you have a link? I haven't seen that yet. I've also been following BBC, AP and Reuters.

Ok, I think I'm seeing what you're talking about.

Just as the Russians are plagued by logistical and resupply issues, the Ukrainians are struggling to replace the stationary systems that the Russians have destroyed or disabled.

“Gradually Ukrainians are losing their radars or warning systems,” Mr. Lukasiewicz said.

I'm also reading that Slovakia might be helping replenish these soon.

[myboynoah]

Ok makes more sense then. My lack of knowledge of Ukrainian geography is showing.

Ha.

The skeptic in me makes we wonder if this isn't just a way to temporarily house war refugees. So maybe not the ominouse action being portrayed.

[myboynoah]

This is disgustingly scary. At least there is some pushback, but I wonder whether the examples are only antecdotal or reflective of the thinking of a significant portion of the population.

Putin’s war propaganda becomes ‘patriotic’ lessons in Russian schools

Kamran Manfly, a 28-year old geography teacher from Moscow, refused to hold “the patrioticlessons.” As the invasion went on, the school ordered the faculty to use only state-approved language when discussing the “special operation” with students, he said.

On March 8, Manfly wrote on Instagram: “Recently at school, I was told I couldn’t have any other stance other than the official, state one. You know what? I have one! I do not want to be the mirror of state propaganda.”

Manfly told the Russian-language outlet Meduza that the school administration fired him the next day. He claimed one of the school guards attacked him when he returned to get his personal belongings.

“[Teachers] immediatelyfled to their offices, so as not to help and not to participate, which the is the saddest part. Everyone is keeping their mouth shut, either afraid or supportive,” he told Meduza, adding that out of 150 school employees, only one teacher called him and expressed support.

[Commando]

This is disgustingly scary. At least there is some pushback, but I wonder whether the examples are only antecdotal or reflective of the thinking of a significant portion of the population.

Putin’s war propaganda becomes ‘patriotic’ lessons in Russian schools

[/B]

We saw whispers and shadows of this under Trump-- with fake news this and fake news that, attacking the press, and him changing the questions on the citizenship exam (that were promptly changed back after Biden won) to be more 'Trump approved.' You still see it in the phony 'critical race theory' language from the GOP where they are proposing bills to monitor teachers' language in school. Authoritarianism gonna authoritarianism...

[Jeff Lebowski]

We saw whispers and shadows of this under Trump-- with fake news this and fake news that, attacking the press, and him changing the questions on the citizenship exam (that were promptly changed back after Biden won) to be more 'Trump approved.' You still see it in the phony 'critical race theory' language from the GOP where they are proposing bills to monitor teachers' language in school. Authoritarianism gonna authoritarianism...

Sowing mistrust in the media is fundamental tactic of authoritarians. And this has been one of main tropes of Trumpism. Shameless.

[SeattleUte]

Sowing mistrust in the media is fundamental tactic of authoritarians. And this has been one of main tropes of Trumpism. Shameless.

There is a logical nexus between the American alt-right and Putin. The American right wing gets Putin's powerful and distorted nostalgia for the past. It gets his longing for a racially and ethnically pure or white-dominant nineteenth century empire that is wedded to a Christian religion, essentially a theocracy. Masha Gessen describes in their book about how American academics from right wing Christian schools were welcomed to lecture in Russia about how LGBTQ is weakening and will destroy the West. Like in American rural areas, Russia has an obsession with pedophelia, been prey to witch hunts greatly exaggerating the problem and falsely accusing political enemies. Putin's creepy philosopher, his Rasputin Alexander Dugin, calls Steve Bannon a soulmate. You see on Fox and the Daily Wire right wing pundits issuing apologetics for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Our alt-right and Putin have the same playbook. I thought Trump's affinity for Putin was just kooky. But actually, it runs deep.

[Jeff Lebowski]

In news that should surprise nobody, Roger Stone is all in for Putin and Russia.

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[Commando]

I guess Putin's credit is sterling w Stone...

[PaloAltoCougar]

In news that should surprise nobody, Roger Stone is all in for Putin and Russia.

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Like Trump, Stone by pretty much any measure is a disgusting human being. "Putin is acting defensively, not offensively." Sad that there are Americans who might actually believe that.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Lots of buzz about this leak today. 10K dead in 3 weeks is a huge death rate.

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[Clark Addison]

As a point of comparison, the US' worst year in Vietnam was just under 17K deaths for the entire year of 1968