Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion

[harms]

So far every invasion/occupation from Putin has been met with a rise in popularity, I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine that he consolidated a bit again, those who have been leaning anyway I guess. If only your country was full of brave people like you this would have never happened in the first place, as Putin would have been long gone by now.

Anyway, using his own polls is counterproductive — just like you’re not going to use arguments from RT while discussing the situation in Ukraine, are you?

It’s very tough to get a clear picture of how the public took that decision but you don’t shut down every independent media & introduce heavy prison sentences for anyone willing to share the truth when you feel confident about the popular vote.

I’ve already explained why Crimea was very different — and there was certainly a wave of patriotic support there, the wave that I don’t see at the moment at all. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t many people who genuinely believe in Putin’s arguments, but it’s far from an overwhelming sentiment country-wide.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

My apologies for posting the crappy DEFCON website, should have checked it first.

 

[choccy77]

They wouldn't admit it anyhow.

Only way they interfere is by being on Nato soil.

 

[Water Melon]

Yeah, it’s certainly the case. To be fair, the Rus’ from the anthem is Kievskaya Rus’ (Kyiv’s Rus’), but not many Russians remember that.

Spot on. I hope you are doing well, mate. Hope we all get rid of the cruel cnut asap which would go a long way in finally bringing some democracy to the majority of ex-USSR states. Take well care of yourself.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

I, during a talk about museums I did whilst working at a museum, while standing right in the centre of the museum said the word 'musician' instead of the word 'museum'. It's not a sign of advanced old age, it's just a slip of the tongue.

yes, it can happen anytime.

 

[Ananke]

It’s hard to complain when Ukraine is literally getting bombed as we speak, but pretty shit. Putin decided to get a world record on a turning into North Korea speed run.

Out of curiosity, are there areas more pro-Putin/anti-Putin than others in Russia and if so...which? Wondering how split it is, whether certain regions would cause more civil unrest than others?

 

[TMDaines]

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I know she was well liked but was she that good? Germany has sleep walked into this situation totally reliant on Russian energy and with a depleted military that couldn't defend it's own borders.

Apparently Putin liked her. Not much of a surprise given she presided over a militarily punny Germany that consistently undermined NATO and shut down Germany’s nuclear power stations making them more dependent on Russian energy.

 

[Beans]

I'm sure putins Windows 3.1 will stil let him play Solitaire

I want to go back to windows 95 myself, still the best.

 

[Bepi]

Posted by a mate from Poland


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hom...rg7dGZTA0pv4JytwdeD5mXUxPHptt1r6M65uHYUCEWWik

Yeah, that’s it. Yet, you can see what just ten years of massive, directly funded, Putin driven sh*t has done to the gullible, complacent, ignorant, some times complicit public opinion in our free democracies. We are lucky he did not went all-in in 2019, when the mess was at its peak in the West. There is still a lot discord, but a number of very relevant, extremely fast corrections happened in four days and set a new, clearer, much more grounded line for the difficult times ahead.

 

[Mike Smalling]

What will this mean practically? Probably a lot of the software is stored locally and will continue to run, or how does this work?

 

[Beans]

Should ban them from showing PL games period. Would never happen due to the leagues greed for money though.

China needs to join in or get sanctioned too. They're clearly on Russia's side now that they've failed to act in any meaningful way.

 

[hellhunter]

First time the US talks about war crimes?

 

[Beans]

What will this mean practically? Probably a lot of the software is stored locally and will continue to run, or how does this work?

There's gonna be an active black market, that's for sure. Factories in China will steal them off the line to sell them at a mark up to Russians.

 

[Dans]

What will this mean practically? Probably a lot of the software is stored locally and will continue to run, or how does this work?

No Teams? Lucky feckers.

 

[JPRouve]

There's gonna be an active black market, that's for sure. Factories in China will steal them off the line to sell them at a mark up to Russians.

I'm sorry but.

 

[hellhunter]

No Teams? Lucky feckers.

Public street parade as soon as SAP stops selling in Russia

 

[GlastonSpur]

It’s hard to complain when Ukraine is literally getting bombed as we speak, but pretty shit. Putin decided to get a world record on a turning into North Korea speed run.

How are you still managing to access internet access to RedCafe? Isn't the internet largely shut off - aside from internal Russian sites - for people in Russia?

 

[TMDaines]

There’s been a big noticeable decrease in the number of journalists I have been following tweeting updates from Moscow in recent days. You can really feel the lines of communication to the West being cut off.

 

[Beans]

I'm sorry but.

Well I didn't mean the factories would become sentient, it's the employees who will steal them.

Or is it funny because security is too tight? Or most stolen goods are taken in transit? Or are Microsoft computers made in Malaysia?

I must know.

 

[Blackwidow]

Very interesting...



Not just the thread itself but the infos you get in the comments...

 

[TMDaines]

 

[JJ12]

I dont find it the least bit concerning.

China controlling their media narrative in line with Russia’s isn’t concerning at all? Ok.

 

[harms]

Out of curiosity, are there areas more pro-Putin/anti-Putin than others in Russia and if so...which? Wondering how split it is, whether certain regions would cause more civil unrest than others?

Moscow & St Petersburg are less pro-Putin… some regions, like Khabarovsk, have a strong history of distaste for centralized power. On the other hand there’s regions like Chechnya with 99% votes for Putin (literally) in every election.

 

[Halftrack]

yes, it can happen anytime.

Especially with Biden, who's been known for his verbal flubs for ages.

 

[do.ob]

Apparently Putin liked her. Not much of a surprise given she presided over a militarily punny Germany that consistently undermined NATO and shut down Germany’s nuclear power stations making them more dependent on Russian energy.

Both were much more of a general national vibe than Merkel's doing though. It's worth remembering that Merkel's party are the centre right conservatives. It was their "archetypical" role to lobby for nuclear energy and armament. Nuclear energy has always been a very contested topic with a lot of visible and disruptive protests around nuclear power plants and nuclear waste transports and after Fukushima the pressure to get out of this type of energy was immense.

 

[harms]

How are you still managing to access internet access to RedCafe? Isn't the internet largely shut off - aside from internal Russian sites - for people in Russia?

No, I don’t think so. A lot of social media & websites are restricted, like FB, Instagram and then specific websites of certain media.

But I’m using VPN anyway, so until they cut out the server that I’m linked up to, I can do whatever I want.

 

[JPRouve]

Well I didn't mean the factories would become sentient, it's the employees who will steal them.

Or is it funny because security is too tight? Or most stolen goods are taken in transit? Or are Microsoft computers made in Malaysia?

I must know.

No it's funny because microsoft softwares are and will continue to be widely pirated and free or close to it. The tablets will be sold online as long as russian's customs don't prevent it. Microsoft knows it and think that people are complete idiots with their bogus PR stunt. Also it's a perfect opportunity for people to ditch Microsoft products and go with Linux.

 

[Ramshock]

Especially with Biden, who's been known for his verbal flubs for ages.

rather that than some fecking ginger crusted wig moron

 

[Raoul]

No, I don’t think so. A lot of social media & websites are restricted, like FB, Instagram and then specific websites of certain media.

But I’m using VPN anyway, so until they cut out the server that I’m linked up to, I can do whatever I want.

Can Russians with VPNs still access all restricted outside sites (social media or otherwise) ?

 

[Carolina Red]

Very interesting...



Not just the thread itself but the infos you get in the comments...

A red state’s government investing in a Russian bank. I’m shocked

 

[Kill 'em all]

Even if Russia are really good with controlling information spread within the population of what is really happening in Ukraine, the more sanctions the west imposes, the more discomfort the Russian general population will feel. I think it's a question of when these sanctions will start to really have an effect on the general population and the rich of Russia. When will the average Joe end up with no food and without a job? When will the rich and highly influential people lose enough assets and business for it to start being a problem for them? That is when things will start turning against Putin and a scenario in which a Civil war starts would be very probable if he keeps on this madness.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on restructuring laws in Russia but surely Putin is taking the country on a fasttrack to a Puerto Rico style problem? High level that seems a similar situation, downgraded bonds (already happening rapidly), inability to sell more bonds (in this case severely diminished ability given they are blocked from large % of global market) and so using national savings which will run out.

 

[MTF]

Very interesting...



Not just the thread itself but the infos you get in the comments...

That doesn't line up with what I'm able to see on Bloomberg. Largest shareholder of Sberbank is Russia's Sovereign Wealth fund.

 

[The Firestarter]

Can Russians with VPNs still access all restricted outside sites (social media or otherwise) ?

Well if you can connect to the vpn server they have no way of restricting you. Unless the vpn service intentionally imposes some restrictions which is highly unlikely.

 

[Dan_F]

Wait, what. People pay for Microsoft?

 

[Maticmaker]

Surely it's all flown in to around Lviv and the Western part? Avoid the roads etc.

Is admittedly a grim outlook though. It's clear the Russian aim was cutting off Ukraine from the Black Sea, which will absolutely screw any future Ukrainian state economically if the Russians don't leave.

This is such a mess, it's so difficult to see how this is going to end.

Flying over occupied areas will be difficult, risks confrontation. If NATO is establishing no fly zones for Russian aircraft, outside Ukraine then you can guarantee any areas in Ukraine captured by the Russians, will also become no fly zones for NATO/West aircraft.
If the 'safe corridors' are established to let refugees out, this will be along the main roads West/S/West and such roads will be heavily trafficked and will delay imports, especially if the Russians control the full length of such corridors.

It is very grim indeed. Putin has had a long time to plan this and although the 'blitzkrieg' everyone was expecting hasn't materialized (as yet), the Russians seemed to be taking the 'strategic ground' in the South.

The West, NATO in particular is being gradually reduced to 'onlooker status'. If Putin gets away with this then we can expect the 'domino-theory' to take effect and there will be little if anything the West can do then to help anyone, even themselves, we will be 'baying at the moon'.

Where are the leaders of the West/NATO who can match Putin? Macron seems to be making a try, but its not inspiring confidence, more confusion.

Actually it isn't so difficult to see how it will end, Putin will stay well away from contact with NATO and subsequently get everything he wants, in terms of his 'land grab' into Ukraine and also including (over time) Nordstream 2.

Its back to the drawing board for the West and NATO in particular.

 

[Blackwidow]

Apparently Putin liked her. Not much of a surprise given she presided over a militarily punny Germany that consistently undermined NATO and shut down Germany’s nuclear power stations making them more dependent on Russian energy.

Nah - but I think that he knew he would not have it as easy with her than with the others as Merkel knew Russia and Russians since early childhood and grew up near a Russian military garnison...

There is much talked about that "relationship" in the recent days. You all know the story with the dog - Merkel was bitten by a dog sometimes early and her fear of dogs is legendary - so her assistant phoned Russia before a meeting and begged that Putin's big dog should be kept away. That meeting Putin did but put up a stuffed dog near her chair... But in later meetings he had the dog with him and tried to frighten her with it... (That probably tells you a lot about Putin...)

 

[Water Melon]

Has Alisher Usmanov managed to avoid sanctions or not?

 

[Zehner]

I know she was well liked but was she that good? Germany has sleep walked into this situation totally reliant on Russian energy and with a depleted military that couldn't defend it's own borders.

Exactly. Germany left one of the worst impressions of all European countries in this whole mess and we just came out of 16 years of Merkel leadership. Of course she's reponsible as well. That being said, I would also like to have Merkel as a diplomat right now. She's said to be one of the very few Putin respected. Also is fluent in Russian, grew up in the DDR so knows the Soviet mindset etc.