Phil1111

In US politics a few weeks is a long time. I'd put it at three trips to the gas pumps or an hour on the gun forums. In other news: Poland’s government says it's ready to hand over all its MIG-29 fighter jets to a US air base in Germany

IMO Putin now realizes that he has misjudged the west. As John Bolton said on Sunday. If trump had be re-elected Russia would have occupied all of Ukraine six months ago. Putin knows that he has to recalculate the equation. That perhaps, he should have invaded Belarus instead.

I completely agree, its what I've been saying for a while. The oligarchs all got rich off of Putin's licenses. They had nothing before Putin and they know Putin can and would kill them if they cross him. Besides they are friends and know that even though they are friends. Putin doesn't need political advice from them. So they don't offer it.

IMO few people understand the true total cost of maintaining a nuclear deterrence. The cost of a nuclear submarine to build, maintain, retire, crew costs, training, weapons costs. From 1940 through 1996, we(US) spent nearly $5.5 trillion on nuclear weapons and weapons-related programs, in constant 1996 dollars. Russia has consistently shown that maintaining its nuclear subs is patchwork.

Yes, together with MSM in motivating the west to act. Sanctions have fallen upon Russia like snowflakes in a Moscow winter storm.

The US spends a huge amount of money servicing and upgrading its nuclear weapons. I have no knowledge of the shelf life of some of those components. Be it the warheads, fuel systems, launch systems, or controls. Russia, who knows. But as others have said Quantity over quality and Russia has the 1800 missiles and warheads.They scammed out of Ukraine and the west.

We need to concentrate on good news here. Given how incompetently Russian generals have pursued this campaign. Don't you think the Ukrainians should have just let them go?

What can I say two old history buffs like to debate. Back to the topic at hand. More good news and even better than burning Russian armor. "Ukraine Recaptures City of Chuhuiv, Kills Top Russian Commanders: Officials" "Ukraine's armed forces claimed overnight to have recaptured the city of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region, as part of their ongoing counter-offensive in the area. "In the course of hostilities, the city of Chuhuiv was liberated. The occupiers suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an operational update on Facebook. The Ukrainian army also claimed to have killed two high-ranking Russian military commanders: Lt. Col. Dmitry Safronov, commander of the 61st Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, and Lt. Col. Denis Glebov, deputy commander of the 11th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade."

No, you're wrong. Current US PEW polling shows that hating each other in the US. Is now secondary to all hating Russians.

A week after congress passes a law to bar Russian oil imports. The GOP will be blaming high gas prices on Biden. Did I say a week!, Silly me! I meant the time it takes to send a tweet.

The current number of unemployed Americans is 6.3 million, or 3.8% 888,000 are on temporary layoffs. 12 month wages are up 5.1%. The current number of employers with jobs available is 10.9 million.Economists in the US judge full employment at a "unemployment" rate between 4.1%-4.7% Generally speaking its unwise for any trading economy to try to employ people in low paying industries. Inflation generally takes place when too little goods and services. Is pursued by too many buyers, with too much money. I'd say buy jeans made in central and south America. Buy as little as possible from China. Nothing from Russia. Levi Strauss manufacturing list of where its jeans are made.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree in the absence of information more certain. According to this USN study US carrier airpower sunk 2 million tons of Japanese ships.https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/japanese-naval-merchant-shipping-losses-wwii.html

I'm so tired of seeing news of refugees and the war is only 10 days old. I want to see pictures of burning Russian armor. For some Russian armor the burning may go on for a while. This story from Interesting Engineering: In other good news:"In less than a week, the United States and NATO have pushed more than 17,000 antitank weapons, including Javelin missiles, over the borders of Poland and Romania, unloading them from giant military cargo planes so they can make the trip by land to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and other major cities. So far, Russian forces have been so preoccupied in other parts of the country that they have not targeted the arms supply lines, but few think that can last." When your army is busy killing/shelling civilians, looting banks, etc. Who has time to go after supply lines.

Some good news from Ukraine, finally. DPR leader says one of military commanders killed in Volnovakha Warning the link below is from TASS the official Russian news agency. The DPR leader said he had signed a decree to posthumously award Zhoga the title of the hero of DPR Link to Daily Mail in UK: Russian separatist warlord who led Neo-Nazi 'Sparta' mob is shot dead during battle in eastern Ukraine town in fresh blow to Putin's floundering invasion "Zhoga became the group's leader in 2016 after his predecessor Arsen Pavlov died following an IED explosion in the lift of his apartment. Pavlov was accused of several war crimes, and in 2015 the Kyiv Post shared audio of him, in a phone call with the news outlet, saying he shot '15 prisoners dead'. 'I don't give a f**** about what I am accused of, believe it or not,' he added. 'I shot 15 prisoners dead. I don't give a f****. No comment. I kill if I want to. I don't if I don't.'"

Kinda cheap shot isn't it? I'd raise you one Churchill, GB was the first country to tackle Hitler after the Czechoslovak invasion.. First western country to engage in hostilities. GB beat France in declaration by over five hours. The US, ...mmmm....we are "America First". "Hitler he's not so bad"

The narrative of the right on the Putin invasion is appalling. I was on a big US gun website on the weekend and the forums are filled with anti-US b.s. "Russia had a right to be pissed off because the US was building chemical and biological weapons facilities. Right on the Russian border". Fake posts of how CNN is covering the news. CNN "reporting that the Chernobyl reactor could be used as a dirty war weapon". "The war is Biden's fault for failing to arm Ukraine". On and on. If Russian trolls want to spread miss-information. US gun forums are a good place to start. Because politically speaking brains get parked when people enter.

I'd have to take exception with that professor. IMO the Dauntless dive bomber,or the Avenger torpedo A/C. Took out more Japanese shipping. Two Yamato class battleships at 70,000 tons each, 1/2 dozen Japanese a/c carriers. Many cruisers, etc.

Its a good story "With many motorsport authorities like the FIA implementing sanctions on Russia and ally Belarus for their invasion of Ukraine, NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress will aid Ukraine through more direct means. On Tuesday, AMMO, Inc. announced it will donate one million rounds of ammunition to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The company has also “formally offer[ed] to manufacture ammunition to donate to the Ukraine Armed Forces as they fight for their country’s continued independence.” In a Wednesday interview with Fox & Friends, Childress explained AMMO, Inc. will be focusing on 7.62 mm caliber ammunition as it is Ukraine’s primary need. While the company is working with government agencies, the transport will be primarily through a private firm."

Russian conscripts: Conscripts receive a stipend of 2,000 rubles (US$17.77) compared to the basic 62,000 (US$551) salary of regular or contract soldiers So much money for the glory of fighting for Putin. Is it any wonder that they punch holes in the fuel tanks of their vehicles to escape the war!

111 people control 19 percent of all household wealth in Russia "the analysis suggests that 83 percent of the population has less than $10,000 in personal wealth....The average middle-class Russian earns between $4,000 and $10,000 per year, according to a 2012 Forbes analysis of data from Rosstat, the nation’s statistics bureau"

The image of winning: Russian convoy blitzed near Kyiv by Ukrainian troops 'armed with Brit anti-tank weapons'

I love your quirky sense of humor. Putin was introduced to the Russian people in 2000. Isn't 22 years of continuous losing enough? Imagine 22 years of trump type "winning".

There was news footage today of Ukrainian troops with two stingers and two Javelin anti-tank weapons. Standing in a group of about 10 all about 20 meters from each other. They all seemed to be quite alert so the enemy must have been nearby.

Above is true but your earlier post had some factual errors. The swordfish did have an active role as a torpedo bomber and played a major role in the sinking of the Bismark They damaged the rudder of the Bismark.Together with a few other German ships during WW2. The French,Italians, Russians and British all had biplanes but only the Russians lost more than a handful. Britain withdrew its bi-planes from any fighting almost immediately(see below). As the RAF had already seen the results of German use of the 109 in Spain. "Hurricane " 6th November 1935 first flight of original variant, A total of 1,715 Hawker Hurricanes flew with Fighter Command during the period of the Battle of Britain, far in excess of all other British fighters combined. It is estimated that Hawker Hurricane pilots were credited with four fifths of all enemy aircraft destroyed in that critical period from July to October 1940." "The only British biplane fighter in operational service was the Gloster Gladiator which equipped No. 247 Squadron RAF, stationed in RAF Robourgh, Devon. Although no combat sorties took place at the height of the aerial battles, No. 247 Gladiators intercepted a He 111 in late October 1940, without result. No. 239 Squadron RAF using Gladiators in an army cooperation role and No. 804 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm outfitted with Sea Gladiators were also operational during the Battle of Britain.[67]"

IMO the Putin meat grinder could last years. Look how long the Syrian war lasted. I believe Ukrainians are determined. Putin didn't get where he is by giving up easily. There are weapons depots all over Russia. Putin will run out of A/C before he runs out of armored vehicles. Evidently there are already 20,000 none Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine fighting already. With volunteers from every corner of the globe besieging Ukrainian embassies to volunteer.