4 ms·

This is at least true in the north; the Russians are doing better in the south, but those positions would be hard to maintain if the north collapses. I'm puzzl

This is at least true in the north; the Russians are doing better in the south, but those positions would be hard to maintain if the north collapses. I'm puzzled why more attention isn't focused on Russia's progress in the south and naval superiority. They clearly want Ukraine and the world to accept its annexation of Crimea and bolstering the zone around it is shaping up to be a point of negotiation, as they made clear in one of Putin's demands about a week ago (that was rejected). Regarding Taiwan restoring conscription: They never got rid of it, but basically reduced it from 2 years to 4 months with lots of exceptions. It's amazing they don't follow the model of Israel and South Korea, considering the PRC menace, constant posturing, and aggressive territory grabs in the South China Sea.

netsharc 5y ago
Say Ukraine surrenders and Putin gets what he wants, and the shooting stops, new borders are drawn and soldiers from both sides retreat. I can't see how Putin gets out of the economic war, though. EU and US voters will never accept their governments cancelling sanctions, and they'll boycott businesses who announce they're returning to Russia (they won't anyway, if SWIFT doesn't work and money can't flow easily). What will Putin do? Be a North Korea? I guess he can try increasing trade with China.
- hackerfromthefu 5y ago
  Frankly as a consumer I'm going to make efforts to avoid Indian and Chinese goods where possible.
  - vogre 5y ago
    You should also avoid goods made in Indonesia and Turkey.
- vogre 5y ago
  > EU and US voters will never accept their governments cancelling sanctions They will when they see their gas and food bills. Everyone is hawk in social networks and enjoys its moral justice, but for many workers in Europe these sanctions mean closing their businesses and increasing paychecks. Of course everyone can say that Ukraine has right to join NATO, but how much are you ready to pay for this right? For most of people these events are only important when they are all over [social] media. Most of the people who call for immediate beginning of WW3 will forget about it when media will start the Next Big Story(China? US elections?). How many of enraged US citizens can show Ukraine on the map? Who was in the context of Russo-Ukrainian relationships month ago? When the wartime propaganda is over, people will find a way to collaborate.
- mistermann 5y ago
  > EU and US voters will never accept their governments cancelling sanctions, and they'll boycott businesses who announce they're returning to Russia I'm skeptical - if millions of minds can by synchronized upon an idea in the first place, I don't see why the same techniques necessarily can't be used to synchronize them upon a new idea. I mean, is this not fundamentally how "reality" works: mass synchronization of minds by training them with data (information)?

netsharc 5y ago

Say Ukraine surrenders and Putin gets what he wants, and the shooting stops, new borders are drawn and soldiers from both sides retreat. I can't see how Putin gets out of the economic war, though. EU and US voters will never accept their governments cancelling sanctions, and they'll boycott businesses who announce they're returning to Russia (they won't anyway, if SWIFT doesn't work and money can't flow easily). What will Putin do? Be a North Korea? I guess he can try increasing trade with China.

hackerfromthefu 5y ago
Frankly as a consumer I'm going to make efforts to avoid Indian and Chinese goods where possible.
- vogre 5y ago
  You should also avoid goods made in Indonesia and Turkey.
vogre 5y ago
> EU and US voters will never accept their governments cancelling sanctions They will when they see their gas and food bills. Everyone is hawk in social networks and enjoys its moral justice, but for many workers in Europe these sanctions mean closing their businesses and increasing paychecks. Of course everyone can say that Ukraine has right to join NATO, but how much are you ready to pay for this right? For most of people these events are only important when they are all over [social] media. Most of the people who call for immediate beginning of WW3 will forget about it when media will start the Next Big Story(China? US elections?). How many of enraged US citizens can show Ukraine on the map? Who was in the context of Russo-Ukrainian relationships month ago? When the wartime propaganda is over, people will find a way to collaborate.
mistermann 5y ago
> EU and US voters will never accept their governments cancelling sanctions, and they'll boycott businesses who announce they're returning to Russia I'm skeptical - if millions of minds can by synchronized upon an idea in the first place, I don't see why the same techniques necessarily can't be used to synchronize them upon a new idea. I mean, is this not fundamentally how "reality" works: mass synchronization of minds by training them with data (information)?