I have been to Irtutsk in Siberia (not sure that is the town her roommate comes from). We saw many buildings that were falling apart, they had the pebble stone sides.
I would imagine some of the buildings that were built in the late 40’s were built by German Slave Labor.
On a cruise down the Danube, the cites we stopped at had the same type of grey buildings, and they too were falling apart.
The video narrator looked like a genuine red head. I wonder what percentage of Russians are red heads.
She and the room mate are both quite engaging. I see that in young women where I live. Now and then.
The situation in Aurora, CO gets more interesting as it gets more national attention. Of course, the D governor claims it’s just in the Republican Rep’s who brought this out, “imagination”. While the GOP mayor of Aurora finally starts taking some action, but somehow needs a court order to get the police involved. And as the article states, gun shots fired, but very delayed response from the police.
She seemed to think that Russian drivers warning other drivers about cops in the area was opposite to the US. It’s the same here, in my experience. Especially in my youth. Though the lack of seat belt use did seem quite strange to me.
Russia continues to make advances in the Donbas, while at high cost.
Ukraine’s offensive into Kursk might have political advantages, but it appears Russia didn’t take the bait and move significant forces from the Donbas. Kursk has little strategic value to the Russians, while taking Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk is strategic and will make it more difficult for Ukraine to mount a counteroffensive into the Donbas in the future.
I worked with a very charming Soviet émigrée microbiologist. She would say, “Don’t ask me to say ‘Moose and Squirrel’. I refuse to say ‘Moose and Squirrel’.”
Housing shortages in Moscow? Ukraine should start destroying those apartment buildings one by one. Warn Moscow citizens, of course, to start evacuating or die in the building.
Ukraine has developed a new Palianytsia missile-drone (430 miles), and is developing a ballistic missile of their own.
Send that Russian redhead & roommate packing to Siberia or die in their apartment.
Once again, you found a fascinating video. How do you locate these things? I can’t picture you scrolling through youtube for hours on end…
Kamala campaign has stopped referencing her alleged job at McDonald’s and won’t respond to media questions seeking the location of the McDonald’s store and the dates of her employment at McDonald’s, which appears nowhere in her memoirs or early resumes…developing…
Loaded w/ memes…X account of Paul Sperry.
How charming can you get?
My Airbnb two years ago in Riga, Latvia was a Khruschovka. Several cement grey buildings all in a group. Apartment was very much like in the video but don’t think there was a window from the kitchen to the bath. The entry way was like she showed (just a stairwell), no elevator but I think I was on the 5th floor.
Spent time in Bulgaria, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, Baltics. They all have older Soviet style buildings but all also have modern ones. All in all, compared to what I saw in the 70’s, they’ve entered the modern world. Heartening.
Just got a mailing from the NC GOP to show they are taking an aggressive stance on the Dem effort to use abortion in this election. On one side, “Kamala Harris: Extreme on abortion. No limits. Forced taxpayer funding. Late-term abortion through the ninth month.” On the other, “Donald Trump: Common sense policies on abortion. Voters in each state decide. Opposes late-term abortion and forced taxpayer abortion funding.” This may work with NC voters. I wonder if these are going out in other swing states.
We saw a lot of grey apartment blocks which must have been Tito-era Kruschevkas when we visited Zagreb, Croatia.
Shirehome: many of the Stalinist Gothic buildings were in fact built by German POWs. The quality of the construction is legendary–much better than what came later. Solzhenitsyn writes about it in one of his novels (I think “The First Circle”).
As Eli says, “khrushchyovka” or “khrushchyoba” is a play on “trushchoba”, the Russian word for slum. They were grim on the outside but could be quite cozy inside. I visited a relative of a UIUC colleague in one in Moscow in 1992. World of difference between the common entryway–the pod”ezd–and the interior of her apartment. It reflected the difference between the public and private personas of Soviet citizens. Sullen and forbidding in public, warm and welcoming in private. Usually.
Russia has always had a housing shortage. It was a perennial topic in movies and popular literature. Considerable ingenuity was required to navigate the housing allocation system in Soviet times. Can’t really think of an American equivalent.
Also worth watching: Eli’s video of her visit to Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad:
I sometimes procrastinate that way. Usually it doesn’t take too long to find a good one. Sometimes it does.
Those cement apartment buildings are a grim reminder of what the Communists wanted. A uniform sameness that forced people into communal living. They were inexpensive and went up fast – an answer to the housing shortage, but also a hat-tip to the egalitarian goals of the Party.
My visit to Russia was only to St. Petersburg in 2006. Most of the buildings there are Czarist. They’re built of sturdy granite rock walls that provide a sense of solidness and longevity. Those buildings will be standing and useful for a long time.
There were, of course, some of the concrete apartment t buildings in the outer areas of the city, and the KGB headquarters, bult right in downtown St Petersburg, stood out because it was the typical grey, concrete, shabby-looking building with an antenna farm on the roof.
These young women seem quite well attuned to their circumstances. A sort of lighthearted acceptance of their limited opportunities. Many of the Russians I encountered during the visit to St. Petersburg seemed rather glum. There is a sense of melancholy in a country where the citizens have so few rights and opportunities. If I lived there, I would probably be glum too.
It’s a real tragedy because Russia could be a reasonably wealthy country. They’re so rich in natural resources.
Our guide in Bratislava apoligized for the ugly Soviet era apartment blocks that the Russians left them. But then I noticed the less-fashionable neighborhoods of Vienna have similar, without the help of the Soviets. In fact, the same sort of thing can be found in Glasgow and Chicago.
It’s a real tragedy because Russia could be a reasonably wealthy country. They’re so rich in natural resources.
==
It is human capital, not natural resources, which makes a country affluent.
Art Deco…”It is human capital, not natural resources, which makes a country affluent.” That’s true…but there are a lot of talented people in Russia. But the institutional structure doesn’t allow it to be fully realized.
Soviet-era construction is everywhere in Eastern Europe, the former East Germany, and the Baltics. IIRC, the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl” was filmed in Lithuania because it had the genuine Soviet look.
Tallinn, Estonia is ringed by massive Soviet-era housing estates. Example: Lasnamäe:
Some of them are now being fixed up quite nicely. They were often built in attractive locations (Lasnamäe borders Pirita, an upscale beach resort a few miles from the center of Tallinn) and had large parks and open areas.
Tcrosse: “In fact, the same sort of thing can be found in Glasgow and Chicago.” True. And in smaller former industrial cities in the West.
I watch, or should I say, start to watch too many youtube videos. Lately I have been clicking on at least 2 or 3 per day that immediately launch into an Obama or Harris request for funds before an impending crucial deadline. I usually close it down and search for another video to watch. Does anyone know if a YouTube creator has much control over what ads show on their sites? There also seems to be a second level of ads, sponsored ads, where a little link remains visible to that ad throughout the video. Thanks
The policy that created the oligarchs that in turn empowered putins that was larry summers and jeffrey sachs who were responsible this was true all through out central asia as with the main russian landmass
Every time you click on an ad it cost them mo ey
Steve:
I don’t think creators have any control over ad content.
For a while, all the Caroline Glick videos I watched started with pro-Palestinian ads. Quite something.
Thanks, David. Apparently, Art D. thinks the Slavs are an inferior people or something. 🙁
Apparently, Art D. thinks the Slavs are an inferior people or something.
==
No, I think natural resources are not that important in generating affluence.
==
Eastern Europe has Slavs, Hungarians, Roumanians, Albanians, Greeks, Baltic peoples, and Finno-Ugrican peoples. Some countries have performed better than others since 1990.
”Ukraine’s offensive into Kursk might have political advantages…”
We can blame Trump for that. His plan to “freeze” the conflict will allow Russia to keep whatever Ukrainian territory it can take by the time he takes office. While Putin has publicly praised Trump’s plan, the Ukrainians want their land, their people, and especially their children back. They will not agree to it and have publicly said so.
So instead they have taken a sizable chunk of Russian land, making a frozen conflict unacceptable to Russia and have thus “Trumpproofed” their defense against a genocidal war of conquest. It is absolutely astounding that a major American political party has come out in favor of said conquest, but it has. Never in all my decades of discussing American politics did I ever think such a thing would happen.
One difference between today and the Soviet era is that in the Soviet era, Moscow was much the desired place to live. The women in the video, while they admit that you make good money in Moscow, are considering living somewhere other than Moscow. During the Soviet era, if you made it to Moscow, you wouldn’t consider leaving at all. Possible conclusion: the provinces are catching up with Moscow. (As the South caught up with the rest of the US.)
The youTube creator seemed to me to have some Mongol/Turkic/Tatar ancestry, even with the red hair. (Old saying: Scratch a Russian and you’ll find a Tatar.) There is another of her videos, on a visit to her home area, that shows that is the case.
Neo, thanks for showing us this video.
Sullen and forbidding in public, warm and welcoming in private.
I was in St Petersburg in 1990 and visited a family in what was probably a Brezhnevka. Almost as ugly as a Krushchevka, and the common areas (entryways, stairwells, etc.) were horrible, but the apartments were nicely kept up on the inside. I presume the apartment buildings were still at that time state-owned and managed, which explains the contrast, and a good lesson on the tragedy of the commons (when the government is responsible for the commons).
I think natural resources are not that important in generating affluence.
Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong (pre-1997) are cases in point. Along with many examples of resource-rich places that are mired in poverty.
its funny how Putin didn’t move aggressively in the Trump era, the airstrikes against airbases in Western Syria, and the Wagner base in the East probably made him reconsider, whereas all the bluster on Biden’s part, actually encouraged him to commit his forces foolishly, now of course there is no one in the regime that really is any kind of Russian expert, like a Richard Pipes in the Reagan era or even Condoleeza Rice, Whats the real reason most of the West has it in for Putin, unlike Xi who has gravely injured us in so many ways, wellJamie Raskin son of a Soviet front man, sort of telegraphed it ‘world war trans’ now we shouldn’t automatically attribute the sentiments of the father to the son, except his role in the sham Jan 6th committee confirms it this freakshow we saw at the Olympics on Easter Sunday, on the White House lawn, in the councils regarding nuclear energy storage and apparently the use of nuclear weapons is bound up in this foolishness, there is this unseemly dhimmi deference at B’aat Yeor, might have put it toward Islamists, and correspondingly a disdain for Christianity,
one of the leading families that held power from the time of Peter the Great to the Revolution, the Naryskins were indeed Crimean Tatars in origin, (I got that from Massies two bios of Peter and Catherine, the family character inspired a character in my novel,
citizens have so few rights and opportunities.
A woman from Kazakhstan who had attended Moscow State University told me that you could not understand the lack of career choice unless you experienced it. Your life was planned out for you. She was a very smart lady who also had an endless supply of Russian jokes. And speaking of red heads, it was her friends that made me realize how common red hair was in the Russian population. It was a surprise to me.
I’ve avoided commenting on the Ukraine-Russia war, but thought the Sky News report was fairly factual.
mkent, I think you’re dealing in wishful thinking if you think this “Trumpproofed” a forced solution to the war. Let’s be generous and say Ukraine controls 3,000 sq km of Russian land. Russia holds at least 80,000 sq km (probably closer to 100,000 sq km) of contested Ukraine.
This part of Kursk is a rural, lightly populated area with no particular strategic value. The largest town Ukraine has taken is Sudzha with a population of 6,000 people. How much value does it have in a land swap?
Western Ukraine made a huge mistake when they overthrew Yanukovych in 2014 with the encouragement of the West (US). The Donbas and Crimea which overwhelming voted for Yanukovych reacted. All of this did not happen in a vacuum.
Rather than stop the Russian advance toward Pokrovsk and continue defending Chasiv Yar using the defensive entrenchments built 10 years ago, Ukraine took a gamble that Russia would divert troops from there to defend Kursk. That apparently didn’t happen.
Here’s the problem. Russia has suffered heavy casualties moving toward these cities (and finally Krematorsk) because they are defendable. If Ukraine tries to mount an offensive in a year or two they will suffer the same heavy casualties, but Ukraine has a smaller pool of military aged men to draw from. Let’s assume Russia has been suffering a 10-1 casualty disadvantage during the offensive to take this area. That ratio is going to be reversed when it’s Ukraine trying to retake this land.
The only reason I posted that report from Sky News was to remind folks that while the Kursk offensive is a bright note, the war still does not favor Ukraine.
As to what Trump is going to do to end the war, we have this report:
The bodies of Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino were found and recovered yesterday.
They were all taken hostage on October 7 and were murdered by the Hamas terrorist organization while in captivity in Gaza.
The IDF and ISA send their heartfelt condolences to the families. Israeli security forces are operating with all means to bring home all the hostages as fast as possible.
”Western Ukraine made a huge mistake when they overthrew Yanukovych in 2014 with the encouragement of the West (US).”
Yanukovych wasn’t overthrown. After his security goons opened fire on peaceful protestors, killing 128 of them, he was impeached by the Ukrainian parliament by a vote of 328 to 0, tried and convicted by the Ukrainian Supreme Court, and removed from office. His own political party formally disowned him, and he left with an approval rating of 4.9%.
”The Donbas and Crimea which overwhelming voted for Yanukovych reacted.”
Crimea and the Donbas “reacted” by being invaded by Russian troops, who occupied government buildings, stormed the provincial parliaments, and forced the ministers at gunpoint to vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. No one outside of Russia and Belarus recognizes the legitimacy of those votes.
”If Ukraine tries to mount an offensive in a year or two they will suffer the same heavy casualties…”
No, they won’t. Russia and Ukraine are fighting this war with very different tactics. Ukraine doesn’t send in waves of troops in so-called “meat-wave” attacks, nor do they substitute motorcycles and golf carts for armored personnel carriers. Those are Russian specialties.
Elon Musk writes “Freedom of Speech is under massive attack around the world.”
He fears that electing Kamala would make censorship — perhaps Brazilian style — a certainty.
Here’s a brief bullet point list of such attacks in only one month, via X:
Collin Rugg
@CollinRugg
NEW: Elon Musk warns that free speech may not exist if Kamala Harris, who was a strong supporter of removing Trump from Twitter, gets into office.
Here are some attacks on free speech that have taken place this past month:
1. Brazil announces anyone using a VPN to access X will be fined up to $8,874 a day.
2. German podcast hosts of ‘Hoss and Hopf’ face a €250,000 fine and jail time in Germany after they “misgendered” a bald transgender person.
3. Telegram founder Pavel Durov is arrested in France for not censoring users.
4. UK arrests a 55-year-old woman for sharing “misinformation” online.
5. UK looks to move forward with new legislation that would label misogyny as a form of extremism.
6. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton sent Elon Musk a letter, demanding that he comply with their censorship laws.
7. Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski fled Europe, citing threats from the French government.
8. META CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a letter, detailing how the Biden-Harris administration and the FBI worked to censor content on META platforms.
Clinton era Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, had come out in favor if arresting Elon Musk for the usual (but extreme) TDS – wrong think! https://www.infowars.com/posts/robert-reich-arrest-elon-musk/
Musk supports authoritarian Trump and the Right Wing around the world, and he’s warning us, Musk will platform this evil cabal…
Reich — not at all mindful of the meaning of his surname (as in “Third Reich”) — goes so far as to think Musk threatens free speech through his Trump endorsement and X-powers.
He even throws in The Deep State trope that Putin’s Russian agents are supporting Trump through their evil work on X!
Reich. My sister’s longtime favorite commentator is a crazy loon today.
Report this morning is that the hostages were murdered as the IDF approached. May their memories be a blessing.
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:04 — What Am I Talking About?
00:01:36 — Catching Up
00:02:54 — Kursk Now
00:07:17 — Korenevo
00:09:15 — Glushkovo
00:14:42 — Other Ukrainian Operations
00:17:06 — Russia’s Offensive
00:20:48 — Pokrovsk
00:25:25 — Evaluating The Balance
00:32:41 — Long Range Strike Campaign – Ukraine
00:33:30 — Impact
00:44:24 — Enter The Bread Missile
00:52:56 — Risks And The Way Forward
00:56:23 — Making An Impression
00:59:01 — Conclusions
01:00:35 — Channel Update
trcrosse,
A good friend dated a Russian woman for years. I never tired of trying to get her to say, “moose and squirrel.” I once played a fun, practical joke on her involving a prop moose and squirrel.
If any of you find yourselves at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida there are a duo impersonating Boris and Natasha on Toon Island who are a lot of fun.
mkent, at least get your facts right. This isn’t the first time you’ve just ignored the truth.
They weren’t peaceful protests. He wasn’t impeached. And even if they had claimed an impeachment vote (which they didn’t) the vote didn’t meet the requirement of the Ukraine constitution. He wasn’t tried and convicted by the Ukraine Supreme Court.
In fact the supporters of the illegal overthrow called it the “Revolution of Dignity”.
It was a revolution. Police and other protestors were shot by those peaceful protestors.
…it is not clear that the hasty February 22 vote upholds constitutional guidelines, which call for a review of the case by Ukraine’s Constitutional Court and a three-fourths majority vote by the Verkhovna Rada — i.e., 338 lawmakers.
Pro-Yanukovych lawmakers may also argue that under the 1996 constitution, it should have been the current acting prime minister, Serhiy Arbuzov, who assumed power after Yanukovych’s removal.
But the West accepted the outcome of the revolution, so the “international rule of law” is whatever the West decides it is. Yanukovych only fled Kiev after an agreement brokered by several European countries and Yanukovych where Yanukovych’s cabinet would be replaced by opposition parties and an early election for President would be held. It was rejected by the rioters who vowed Yanukovych would be killed if he did not resign by the next day.
You’re wrong about the events in the Donbas and Crimea as well.
The loss of these six captives, executed as the IDF drew nearer, is tragic. It sounds to me as if the IDF is systematically clearing those tunnels under Rafah, and perhaps getting closer to finding Sinwar. I hope so.
The sad violin is dusted off for Yanukovitch, as ever “Look Ukrainian squirrel!”
Brain E, as ever, ignores the basic bloddy F’en fact that Yunikovitch’s protector invaded Ukraine in 2022. He can’t spin that away.
But, but, but, reasons, Brain E?
ah reich, that dark elf along with the cottonmouth carville, will we ever be ever be free of miguelito lovelace, bound together with the razorback lothario since the boat trip to oxford, same for snufflelapagus and his wonderful bride, miss wentworth nee brandon,
this mirror universe, where these scoundrels are the selfless public servants while they
make off with the good silver, same with jay carney and red claire shipman, the former rewarded with the Amazon VP, with their lefty proclivities
then you have
the third generation with the greenwich twit,
jen psaki which is a shame because red heads but she’s just dumber than dirt, both entitled ladies I’m being charitable, the latter part of the Hillary extortion scheme demand justice,
I know we thought Pierre Salinger and Bill Moyers were insufferable, well turtles all the way down,
Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk isn’t just a brash bid to upend Russia’s invasion. It also marks the first time that a declared nuclear power has faced invasion and occupation by another country.
With Russia & Iran bonding closer than Germany & Japan in WW2, America needs to gain Ukraine as a truly capable ally. Yeah, I like England and Israel, but Ukraine has gone against one of the former Top Two militaries in the world – held their own for over 2-years and kept upping their game.
Their exposure of Russia’s weaknesses is worth 10 times what America, NATO, and EU have contributed to Ukraine…maybe 20 times. And they have been doing it with ‘one hand tied behind their back’!?! NATO should be providing full air cover over Ukraine—which includes helping Ukraine destroy missile & drone launches (America helps Israel) – plus any Russian bases supporting glide bombs, IMHO.
The Ukrainians are warriors/fighters and ignoring being allied with such is idiotic—at best.
(NOTE: use the Epic browser to bypass paywall—if needed…)
on a lighter note, richard osman’s thursday murder club is being adapted for Netflix, sort of a British Murders she wrote, with Helen Mirren as an ex british spy,
Pierce Brosnan as a lefty union official, Ben Kingsley as the Arab doctor et al they are investigating the death of an unscrupulous developer of their retirement community and the hijinks begin, bringing in a whole cast of characters including the Greek Cypriot mob if memory serves, te community is loosely based on the town of Plymouth
You’re wrong about the events in the Donbas and Crimea as well.
The Israeli left is truly insane. It’s quite amazing, really, the extent of their disconnect from the world as it is.
One of the things that amazes me about the Ukraine war is the constancy of the arguments of the pro-Russian side despite changes on the ground, the weapons employed, and the strategic situation in Europe. For example, the “Russia stronk!” exclamation may have made sense during the opening month of this invasion when Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv were surrounded on three sides and Russia was fighting to close the circles. But 2-1/2 years later with those cities freed, large swaths of territory in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts returned to Ukrainian control, Ukrainian troops occupying over 1,000 sq. km of Russia, and Russian oil refineries going up in flames all over the country, it strikes me as peculiar to still see that exclamation made all over YouTube and the conservative blogosphere.
Likewise with the argument that Yanukovych is still the rightful ruler of Ukraine, an argument you can’t find anywhere in the country among actual Ukrainians. I’ve even witnessed an American trying to tell that to an actual Ukrainian online with predictable (to me) results. I guess it’s like those American professors telling students who grew up behind the Iron Curtain what communism was “really like.”
So today I see that both Scott Ritter and Col. Douglas McGregor have posted new videos stating that Russia has destroyed the last remnants of the Ukrainian military, they’re just mopping up now, and all of Ukraine will fall in 4-6 weeks. Which is the same thing they posted 4-6 weeks ago. And 4-6 weeks before that. And 4-6 weeks before that, etc., going all the way back to February 2022. Some things never change.
I was going to type up something to describe the current state of the war, but I see that Anders Puck Nielsen has already posted a video saying what I was going to type. Please forgive me for just dropping a link, but he can talk a whole lot faster than I can type (especially on this iPad):
It’s not that long, and he describes the big picture pretty well, IMO.
mkent:
Yes the Russia apologists (actually Vlad enablers) can’t seem to cope. In the beginning it was NATO/WEF/Dravos that forced Vlad to attack and invade Ukraine. Then it was “Russia is threatened by French nuclear missiles that Ukraine will get and are only 13 minutes distant from Moscow!” Missile that Ukraine doesn’t have and isn’t in NATO yet. But nuclear Armageddon was the fate of the west if it opposed Vladdy’s little adventure.
Yanukovitch is just the last fig leaf. If it wasn’t for Yanukovitch Vlad wouldn’t have been forced to beat (abusive alcoholic) Ukraine. Sad and pathetic.
Thanks for the link to Anders Puck Nielsen. I’ve been busy home remodeling all day so haven’t kept up.
Regarding the video hostesses English…
English is the lingua franca of the world, especially among the young. There is so much English entertainment available to all civilized cities; songs, movies, TV shows… English was popular for economic reasons prior to the Internet, but it’s completely overwhelmed all other languages in the past 15 years. Nothing against this young woman, her English is good and good on her for learning it, but she is completely common for her age group.
And further commentary on the feckless upper echelons of the IDF.
Lots of interesting facts about the Ukrainian fight for freedom & survival from the Russian ‘Boot’ are coming out in this thread. Few in history have suffered more under the Russian ‘Boot’ than the Ukrainians, and they have no desire to go back in time.
mkent & om point to an excellent YouTube LINK by Anders Puck Nielsen: “How is the war going?” It cuts thru the Russian & pro-Russian propaganda, and gives an honest look at what is and may be going on.
(NOTE: Power Line has actual Russian Trolls pushing the Russian propaganda, and they are quick to attack anyone speaking ill of Trump and/or promoting facts about Ukraine. Will usually accuse you of being a Ukrainian or such Ukrainian connection…)
Over 2.5 years of fighting Russia, and the Ukrainians are planning for their own Military Industrial base (Russia has been attempting to build their own back up but continued Russian failures have sent them begging for help from Iran & N. Korea) that will provide them with their own source for weapons. Here’s one example of Ukrainian ingenuity during such trying times:
Ukraine will prepare a concept for controlled exports of weapons produced by Ukrainian defense companies.
The National Association of Defense Industry Enterprises of Ukraine (NAUDI) stated that the opening of military exports could be a strategic step to strengthen the country’s economy.
mkent:
I cannot understand why any human being would care what McGregor has to say on the subject at this point. Or at any point, for that matter. Here’s a post I wrote on the subject in April of 2022.
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I have been to Irtutsk in Siberia (not sure that is the town her roommate comes from). We saw many buildings that were falling apart, they had the pebble stone sides.
I would imagine some of the buildings that were built in the late 40’s were built by German Slave Labor.
On a cruise down the Danube, the cites we stopped at had the same type of grey buildings, and they too were falling apart.
The video narrator looked like a genuine red head. I wonder what percentage of Russians are red heads.
She and the room mate are both quite engaging. I see that in young women where I live. Now and then.
Remember there was no place for John Lott or Thomas Woods in academe.
==
https://www.thecollegefix.com/u-s-hates-women-faces-future-of-cannibalism-forced-breeding-camps-asu-event/
The situation in Aurora, CO gets more interesting as it gets more national attention. Of course, the D governor claims it’s just in the Republican Rep’s who brought this out, “imagination”. While the GOP mayor of Aurora finally starts taking some action, but somehow needs a court order to get the police involved. And as the article states, gun shots fired, but very delayed response from the police.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/migrant-gang-taking-over-colorado-apartment-complex-not-isolated-occurrence-former-resident-says
I like the roommate’s Georgetown U tee shirt with the bulldog on the back. Fantastic English from both girls.
This “Eli from Russia” video below is interesting.
Seven weird habits in Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYmIabGGGPQ&t=0s
She seemed to think that Russian drivers warning other drivers about cops in the area was opposite to the US. It’s the same here, in my experience. Especially in my youth. Though the lack of seat belt use did seem quite strange to me.
Russia continues to make advances in the Donbas, while at high cost.
Ukraine’s offensive into Kursk might have political advantages, but it appears Russia didn’t take the bait and move significant forces from the Donbas. Kursk has little strategic value to the Russians, while taking Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk is strategic and will make it more difficult for Ukraine to mount a counteroffensive into the Donbas in the future.
From Australia’s Sky News:
Russia ’determined to take key Donbas cities before winter’ | Professor Michael Clarke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBLzIM43rU4
I worked with a very charming Soviet émigrée microbiologist. She would say, “Don’t ask me to say ‘Moose and Squirrel’. I refuse to say ‘Moose and Squirrel’.”
Housing shortages in Moscow? Ukraine should start destroying those apartment buildings one by one. Warn Moscow citizens, of course, to start evacuating or die in the building.
Ukraine has developed a new Palianytsia missile-drone (430 miles), and is developing a ballistic missile of their own.
Send that Russian redhead & roommate packing to Siberia or die in their apartment.
Once again, you found a fascinating video. How do you locate these things? I can’t picture you scrolling through youtube for hours on end…
tcrosse,
That’s hilarious
H/T Power Line – you want
frieslies with that?Loaded w/ memes…X account of Paul Sperry.
How charming can you get?
My Airbnb two years ago in Riga, Latvia was a Khruschovka. Several cement grey buildings all in a group. Apartment was very much like in the video but don’t think there was a window from the kitchen to the bath. The entry way was like she showed (just a stairwell), no elevator but I think I was on the 5th floor.
Spent time in Bulgaria, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, Baltics. They all have older Soviet style buildings but all also have modern ones. All in all, compared to what I saw in the 70’s, they’ve entered the modern world. Heartening.
Just got a mailing from the NC GOP to show they are taking an aggressive stance on the Dem effort to use abortion in this election. On one side, “Kamala Harris: Extreme on abortion. No limits. Forced taxpayer funding. Late-term abortion through the ninth month.” On the other, “Donald Trump: Common sense policies on abortion. Voters in each state decide. Opposes late-term abortion and forced taxpayer abortion funding.” This may work with NC voters. I wonder if these are going out in other swing states.
We saw a lot of grey apartment blocks which must have been Tito-era Kruschevkas when we visited Zagreb, Croatia.
Shirehome: many of the Stalinist Gothic buildings were in fact built by German POWs. The quality of the construction is legendary–much better than what came later. Solzhenitsyn writes about it in one of his novels (I think “The First Circle”).
As Eli says, “khrushchyovka” or “khrushchyoba” is a play on “trushchoba”, the Russian word for slum. They were grim on the outside but could be quite cozy inside. I visited a relative of a UIUC colleague in one in Moscow in 1992. World of difference between the common entryway–the pod”ezd–and the interior of her apartment. It reflected the difference between the public and private personas of Soviet citizens. Sullen and forbidding in public, warm and welcoming in private. Usually.
Russia has always had a housing shortage. It was a perennial topic in movies and popular literature. Considerable ingenuity was required to navigate the housing allocation system in Soviet times. Can’t really think of an American equivalent.
Also worth watching: Eli’s video of her visit to Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbMWvnEPf7o
Mr Bill:
I sometimes procrastinate that way. Usually it doesn’t take too long to find a good one. Sometimes it does.
Those cement apartment buildings are a grim reminder of what the Communists wanted. A uniform sameness that forced people into communal living. They were inexpensive and went up fast – an answer to the housing shortage, but also a hat-tip to the egalitarian goals of the Party.
My visit to Russia was only to St. Petersburg in 2006. Most of the buildings there are Czarist. They’re built of sturdy granite rock walls that provide a sense of solidness and longevity. Those buildings will be standing and useful for a long time.
There were, of course, some of the concrete apartment t buildings in the outer areas of the city, and the KGB headquarters, bult right in downtown St Petersburg, stood out because it was the typical grey, concrete, shabby-looking building with an antenna farm on the roof.
These young women seem quite well attuned to their circumstances. A sort of lighthearted acceptance of their limited opportunities. Many of the Russians I encountered during the visit to St. Petersburg seemed rather glum. There is a sense of melancholy in a country where the citizens have so few rights and opportunities. If I lived there, I would probably be glum too.
It’s a real tragedy because Russia could be a reasonably wealthy country. They’re so rich in natural resources.
Our guide in Bratislava apoligized for the ugly Soviet era apartment blocks that the Russians left them. But then I noticed the less-fashionable neighborhoods of Vienna have similar, without the help of the Soviets. In fact, the same sort of thing can be found in Glasgow and Chicago.
It’s a real tragedy because Russia could be a reasonably wealthy country. They’re so rich in natural resources.
==
It is human capital, not natural resources, which makes a country affluent.
Art Deco…”It is human capital, not natural resources, which makes a country affluent.” That’s true…but there are a lot of talented people in Russia. But the institutional structure doesn’t allow it to be fully realized.
https://brownstone.org/articles/why-did-zuckerberg-choose-now-to-confess/
Soviet-era construction is everywhere in Eastern Europe, the former East Germany, and the Baltics. IIRC, the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl” was filmed in Lithuania because it had the genuine Soviet look.
Tallinn, Estonia is ringed by massive Soviet-era housing estates. Example: Lasnamäe:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasnam%C3%A4e
Some of them are now being fixed up quite nicely. They were often built in attractive locations (Lasnamäe borders Pirita, an upscale beach resort a few miles from the center of Tallinn) and had large parks and open areas.
Tcrosse: “In fact, the same sort of thing can be found in Glasgow and Chicago.” True. And in smaller former industrial cities in the West.
I watch, or should I say, start to watch too many youtube videos. Lately I have been clicking on at least 2 or 3 per day that immediately launch into an Obama or Harris request for funds before an impending crucial deadline. I usually close it down and search for another video to watch. Does anyone know if a YouTube creator has much control over what ads show on their sites? There also seems to be a second level of ads, sponsored ads, where a little link remains visible to that ad throughout the video. Thanks
The policy that created the oligarchs that in turn empowered putins that was larry summers and jeffrey sachs who were responsible this was true all through out central asia as with the main russian landmass
Every time you click on an ad it cost them mo ey
Steve:
I don’t think creators have any control over ad content.
For a while, all the Caroline Glick videos I watched started with pro-Palestinian ads. Quite something.
Thanks, David. Apparently, Art D. thinks the Slavs are an inferior people or something. 🙁
Apparently, Art D. thinks the Slavs are an inferior people or something.
==
No, I think natural resources are not that important in generating affluence.
==
Eastern Europe has Slavs, Hungarians, Roumanians, Albanians, Greeks, Baltic peoples, and Finno-Ugrican peoples. Some countries have performed better than others since 1990.
”Ukraine’s offensive into Kursk might have political advantages…”
We can blame Trump for that. His plan to “freeze” the conflict will allow Russia to keep whatever Ukrainian territory it can take by the time he takes office. While Putin has publicly praised Trump’s plan, the Ukrainians want their land, their people, and especially their children back. They will not agree to it and have publicly said so.
So instead they have taken a sizable chunk of Russian land, making a frozen conflict unacceptable to Russia and have thus “Trumpproofed” their defense against a genocidal war of conquest. It is absolutely astounding that a major American political party has come out in favor of said conquest, but it has. Never in all my decades of discussing American politics did I ever think such a thing would happen.
One difference between today and the Soviet era is that in the Soviet era, Moscow was much the desired place to live. The women in the video, while they admit that you make good money in Moscow, are considering living somewhere other than Moscow. During the Soviet era, if you made it to Moscow, you wouldn’t consider leaving at all. Possible conclusion: the provinces are catching up with Moscow. (As the South caught up with the rest of the US.)
The youTube creator seemed to me to have some Mongol/Turkic/Tatar ancestry, even with the red hair. (Old saying: Scratch a Russian and you’ll find a Tatar.) There is another of her videos, on a visit to her home area, that shows that is the case.
Neo, thanks for showing us this video.
Sullen and forbidding in public, warm and welcoming in private.
I was in St Petersburg in 1990 and visited a family in what was probably a Brezhnevka. Almost as ugly as a Krushchevka, and the common areas (entryways, stairwells, etc.) were horrible, but the apartments were nicely kept up on the inside. I presume the apartment buildings were still at that time state-owned and managed, which explains the contrast, and a good lesson on the tragedy of the commons (when the government is responsible for the commons).
I think natural resources are not that important in generating affluence.
Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong (pre-1997) are cases in point. Along with many examples of resource-rich places that are mired in poverty.
its funny how Putin didn’t move aggressively in the Trump era, the airstrikes against airbases in Western Syria, and the Wagner base in the East probably made him reconsider, whereas all the bluster on Biden’s part, actually encouraged him to commit his forces foolishly, now of course there is no one in the regime that really is any kind of Russian expert, like a Richard Pipes in the Reagan era or even Condoleeza Rice, Whats the real reason most of the West has it in for Putin, unlike Xi who has gravely injured us in so many ways, wellJamie Raskin son of a Soviet front man, sort of telegraphed it ‘world war trans’ now we shouldn’t automatically attribute the sentiments of the father to the son, except his role in the sham Jan 6th committee confirms it this freakshow we saw at the Olympics on Easter Sunday, on the White House lawn, in the councils regarding nuclear energy storage and apparently the use of nuclear weapons is bound up in this foolishness, there is this unseemly dhimmi deference at B’aat Yeor, might have put it toward Islamists, and correspondingly a disdain for Christianity,
one of the leading families that held power from the time of Peter the Great to the Revolution, the Naryskins were indeed Crimean Tatars in origin, (I got that from Massies two bios of Peter and Catherine, the family character inspired a character in my novel,
citizens have so few rights and opportunities.
A woman from Kazakhstan who had attended Moscow State University told me that you could not understand the lack of career choice unless you experienced it. Your life was planned out for you. She was a very smart lady who also had an endless supply of Russian jokes. And speaking of red heads, it was her friends that made me realize how common red hair was in the Russian population. It was a surprise to me.
I’ve avoided commenting on the Ukraine-Russia war, but thought the Sky News report was fairly factual.
mkent, I think you’re dealing in wishful thinking if you think this “Trumpproofed” a forced solution to the war. Let’s be generous and say Ukraine controls 3,000 sq km of Russian land. Russia holds at least 80,000 sq km (probably closer to 100,000 sq km) of contested Ukraine.
This part of Kursk is a rural, lightly populated area with no particular strategic value. The largest town Ukraine has taken is Sudzha with a population of 6,000 people. How much value does it have in a land swap?
Western Ukraine made a huge mistake when they overthrew Yanukovych in 2014 with the encouragement of the West (US). The Donbas and Crimea which overwhelming voted for Yanukovych reacted. All of this did not happen in a vacuum.
Rather than stop the Russian advance toward Pokrovsk and continue defending Chasiv Yar using the defensive entrenchments built 10 years ago, Ukraine took a gamble that Russia would divert troops from there to defend Kursk. That apparently didn’t happen.
Here’s the problem. Russia has suffered heavy casualties moving toward these cities (and finally Krematorsk) because they are defendable. If Ukraine tries to mount an offensive in a year or two they will suffer the same heavy casualties, but Ukraine has a smaller pool of military aged men to draw from. Let’s assume Russia has been suffering a 10-1 casualty disadvantage during the offensive to take this area. That ratio is going to be reversed when it’s Ukraine trying to retake this land.
The only reason I posted that report from Sky News was to remind folks that while the Kursk offensive is a bright note, the war still does not favor Ukraine.
As to what Trump is going to do to end the war, we have this report:
Trump and Zelenskyy hold phone call — and Ukraine says it liked what it heard
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/19/trump-zelenskyy-ukraine-call-00169905
Michael Reagan reviews “The Truth in Reagan, The Movie,” which is freshly out.
https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelreagan/2024/08/31/recognizing-the-truth-in-reagan-n2644144
IDF:
https://x.com/IDF/status/1830097466588279150
”Western Ukraine made a huge mistake when they overthrew Yanukovych in 2014 with the encouragement of the West (US).”
Yanukovych wasn’t overthrown. After his security goons opened fire on peaceful protestors, killing 128 of them, he was impeached by the Ukrainian parliament by a vote of 328 to 0, tried and convicted by the Ukrainian Supreme Court, and removed from office. His own political party formally disowned him, and he left with an approval rating of 4.9%.
”The Donbas and Crimea which overwhelming voted for Yanukovych reacted.”
Crimea and the Donbas “reacted” by being invaded by Russian troops, who occupied government buildings, stormed the provincial parliaments, and forced the ministers at gunpoint to vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. No one outside of Russia and Belarus recognizes the legitimacy of those votes.
”If Ukraine tries to mount an offensive in a year or two they will suffer the same heavy casualties…”
No, they won’t. Russia and Ukraine are fighting this war with very different tactics. Ukraine doesn’t send in waves of troops in so-called “meat-wave” attacks, nor do they substitute motorcycles and golf carts for armored personnel carriers. Those are Russian specialties.
Elon Musk writes “Freedom of Speech is under massive attack around the world.”
He fears that electing Kamala would make censorship — perhaps Brazilian style — a certainty.
Here’s a brief bullet point list of such attacks in only one month, via X:
Collin Rugg
@CollinRugg
NEW: Elon Musk warns that free speech may not exist if Kamala Harris, who was a strong supporter of removing Trump from Twitter, gets into office.
Here are some attacks on free speech that have taken place this past month:
1. Brazil announces anyone using a VPN to access X will be fined up to $8,874 a day.
2. German podcast hosts of ‘Hoss and Hopf’ face a €250,000 fine and jail time in Germany after they “misgendered” a bald transgender person.
3. Telegram founder Pavel Durov is arrested in France for not censoring users.
4. UK arrests a 55-year-old woman for sharing “misinformation” online.
5. UK looks to move forward with new legislation that would label misogyny as a form of extremism.
6. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton sent Elon Musk a letter, demanding that he comply with their censorship laws.
7. Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski fled Europe, citing threats from the French government.
8. META CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a letter, detailing how the Biden-Harris administration and the FBI worked to censor content on META platforms.
SOURCE: Zerohedge
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/elon-musk-warns-censorship-x-certainty-if-kamala-harris-wins
Clinton era Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, had come out in favor if arresting Elon Musk for the usual (but extreme) TDS – wrong think!
https://www.infowars.com/posts/robert-reich-arrest-elon-musk/
Musk supports authoritarian Trump and the Right Wing around the world, and he’s warning us, Musk will platform this evil cabal…
Reich — not at all mindful of the meaning of his surname (as in “Third Reich”) — goes so far as to think Musk threatens free speech through his Trump endorsement and X-powers.
He even throws in The Deep State trope that Putin’s Russian agents are supporting Trump through their evil work on X!
Reich. My sister’s longtime favorite commentator is a crazy loon today.
Report this morning is that the hostages were murdered as the IDF approached. May their memories be a blessing.
Sinwar must die in the tunnels, like his victims.
Eli is a charming person to spend time with via her videos https://youtube.com/shorts/6CfXIcu6ZiU?si=KtC_rKOlMs2vr4SY
Kate:
Here is a link to one report regarding the murder of the about to be rescued hostages (an optimist outlook).
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/09/01/eartbreak-american-hostage-hersh-goldberg-polin-5-others-confirmed-dead-at-the-hands-of-hamas-n2178793
Sinwar must be executed in his little domain ASAP, with as many of his toadies as practicable.
From the river to the sea
Hamashites must cease to be
Sunday Open Thread: Russian War on Ukraine and War Comes to Russia – Perun
Russia and Ukraine on the Offensive – Kursk, the Donbass & Escalating Long-Range Strikes – Perun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krSwnWiOuJI&t=124s
trcrosse,
A good friend dated a Russian woman for years. I never tired of trying to get her to say, “moose and squirrel.” I once played a fun, practical joke on her involving a prop moose and squirrel.
If any of you find yourselves at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida there are a duo impersonating Boris and Natasha on Toon Island who are a lot of fun.
mkent, at least get your facts right. This isn’t the first time you’ve just ignored the truth.
They weren’t peaceful protests. He wasn’t impeached. And even if they had claimed an impeachment vote (which they didn’t) the vote didn’t meet the requirement of the Ukraine constitution. He wasn’t tried and convicted by the Ukraine Supreme Court.
In fact the supporters of the illegal overthrow called it the “Revolution of Dignity”.
It was a revolution. Police and other protestors were shot by those peaceful protestors.
But the West accepted the outcome of the revolution, so the “international rule of law” is whatever the West decides it is. Yanukovych only fled Kiev after an agreement brokered by several European countries and Yanukovych where Yanukovych’s cabinet would be replaced by opposition parties and an early election for President would be held. It was rejected by the rioters who vowed Yanukovych would be killed if he did not resign by the next day.
https://www.rferl.org/a/was-yanukovychs-ouster-constitutional/25274346.html
You’re wrong about the events in the Donbas and Crimea as well.
The loss of these six captives, executed as the IDF drew nearer, is tragic. It sounds to me as if the IDF is systematically clearing those tunnels under Rafah, and perhaps getting closer to finding Sinwar. I hope so.
The sad violin is dusted off for Yanukovitch, as ever “Look Ukrainian squirrel!”
Brain E, as ever, ignores the basic bloddy F’en fact that Yunikovitch’s protector invaded Ukraine in 2022. He can’t spin that away.
But, but, but, reasons, Brain E?
ah reich, that dark elf along with the cottonmouth carville, will we ever be ever be free of miguelito lovelace, bound together with the razorback lothario since the boat trip to oxford, same for snufflelapagus and his wonderful bride, miss wentworth nee brandon,
this mirror universe, where these scoundrels are the selfless public servants while they
make off with the good silver, same with jay carney and red claire shipman, the former rewarded with the Amazon VP, with their lefty proclivities
then you have
the third generation with the greenwich twit,
jen psaki which is a shame because red heads but she’s just dumber than dirt, both entitled ladies I’m being charitable, the latter part of the Hillary extortion scheme demand justice,
I know we thought Pierre Salinger and Bill Moyers were insufferable, well turtles all the way down,
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13802403/German-AFD-wins-landmark-victory-hard-right-party-tops-regional-vote-time-country-Second-World-War.html
Nuclear Weapons Always Stopped Invasions. Then Ukrainian Troops Poured Into Russia.
With Russia & Iran bonding closer than Germany & Japan in WW2, America needs to gain Ukraine as a truly capable ally. Yeah, I like England and Israel, but Ukraine has gone against one of the former Top Two militaries in the world – held their own for over 2-years and kept upping their game.
Their exposure of Russia’s weaknesses is worth 10 times what America, NATO, and EU have contributed to Ukraine…maybe 20 times. And they have been doing it with ‘one hand tied behind their back’!?! NATO should be providing full air cover over Ukraine—which includes helping Ukraine destroy missile & drone launches (America helps Israel) – plus any Russian bases supporting glide bombs, IMHO.
Ukraine Strikes Moscow Oil Refinery in Massive Drone Barrage
The Ukrainians are warriors/fighters and ignoring being allied with such is idiotic—at best.
(NOTE: use the Epic browser to bypass paywall—if needed…)
on a lighter note, richard osman’s thursday murder club is being adapted for Netflix, sort of a British Murders she wrote, with Helen Mirren as an ex british spy,
Pierce Brosnan as a lefty union official, Ben Kingsley as the Arab doctor et al they are investigating the death of an unscrupulous developer of their retirement community and the hijinks begin, bringing in a whole cast of characters including the Greek Cypriot mob if memory serves, te community is loosely based on the town of Plymouth
You’re wrong about the events in the Donbas and Crimea as well.
lgor Girkin, who organized them, begs to differ.
Caroline Glick Show, “After Hostages Executed, Left Blames Bibi”: https://youtu.be/6jhMUcSjEVI?
The Israeli left is truly insane. It’s quite amazing, really, the extent of their disconnect from the world as it is.
One of the things that amazes me about the Ukraine war is the constancy of the arguments of the pro-Russian side despite changes on the ground, the weapons employed, and the strategic situation in Europe. For example, the “Russia stronk!” exclamation may have made sense during the opening month of this invasion when Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv were surrounded on three sides and Russia was fighting to close the circles. But 2-1/2 years later with those cities freed, large swaths of territory in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts returned to Ukrainian control, Ukrainian troops occupying over 1,000 sq. km of Russia, and Russian oil refineries going up in flames all over the country, it strikes me as peculiar to still see that exclamation made all over YouTube and the conservative blogosphere.
Likewise with the argument that Yanukovych is still the rightful ruler of Ukraine, an argument you can’t find anywhere in the country among actual Ukrainians. I’ve even witnessed an American trying to tell that to an actual Ukrainian online with predictable (to me) results. I guess it’s like those American professors telling students who grew up behind the Iron Curtain what communism was “really like.”
So today I see that both Scott Ritter and Col. Douglas McGregor have posted new videos stating that Russia has destroyed the last remnants of the Ukrainian military, they’re just mopping up now, and all of Ukraine will fall in 4-6 weeks. Which is the same thing they posted 4-6 weeks ago. And 4-6 weeks before that. And 4-6 weeks before that, etc., going all the way back to February 2022. Some things never change.
I was going to type up something to describe the current state of the war, but I see that Anders Puck Nielsen has already posted a video saying what I was going to type. Please forgive me for just dropping a link, but he can talk a whole lot faster than I can type (especially on this iPad):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_W0FWiJmM8
It’s not that long, and he describes the big picture pretty well, IMO.
mkent:
Yes the Russia apologists (actually Vlad enablers) can’t seem to cope. In the beginning it was NATO/WEF/Dravos that forced Vlad to attack and invade Ukraine. Then it was “Russia is threatened by French nuclear missiles that Ukraine will get and are only 13 minutes distant from Moscow!” Missile that Ukraine doesn’t have and isn’t in NATO yet. But nuclear Armageddon was the fate of the west if it opposed Vladdy’s little adventure.
Yanukovitch is just the last fig leaf. If it wasn’t for Yanukovitch Vlad wouldn’t have been forced to beat (abusive alcoholic) Ukraine. Sad and pathetic.
Thanks for the link to Anders Puck Nielsen. I’ve been busy home remodeling all day so haven’t kept up.
Regarding the video hostesses English…
English is the lingua franca of the world, especially among the young. There is so much English entertainment available to all civilized cities; songs, movies, TV shows… English was popular for economic reasons prior to the Internet, but it’s completely overwhelmed all other languages in the past 15 years. Nothing against this young woman, her English is good and good on her for learning it, but she is completely common for her age group.
“IDF Lt. Col gives more details on six murdered hostages” (12:39): https://youtu.be/WM56YlwUlgE
And further commentary on the feckless upper echelons of the IDF.
Lots of interesting facts about the Ukrainian fight for freedom & survival from the Russian ‘Boot’ are coming out in this thread. Few in history have suffered more under the Russian ‘Boot’ than the Ukrainians, and they have no desire to go back in time.
mkent & om point to an excellent YouTube LINK by Anders Puck Nielsen: “How is the war going?” It cuts thru the Russian & pro-Russian propaganda, and gives an honest look at what is and may be going on.
(NOTE: Power Line has actual Russian Trolls pushing the Russian propaganda, and they are quick to attack anyone speaking ill of Trump and/or promoting facts about Ukraine. Will usually accuse you of being a Ukrainian or such Ukrainian connection…)
Over 2.5 years of fighting Russia, and the Ukrainians are planning for their own Military Industrial base (Russia has been attempting to build their own back up but continued Russian failures have sent them begging for help from Iran & N. Korea) that will provide them with their own source for weapons. Here’s one example of Ukrainian ingenuity during such trying times:
Ukraine Eyes Billions in Revenue from Controlled Defense Industry Exports
mkent:
I cannot understand why any human being would care what McGregor has to say on the subject at this point. Or at any point, for that matter. Here’s a post I wrote on the subject in April of 2022.