Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your impression of Russia's war capabilities is vastly mistaken. "According to Joseph Fitsanakis, professor of intelligence and security studies at Coastal Carolina University, “Russian military production is currently outpacing that of the US and all of NATO member states combined. This may be hard to believe, but Russia is obligated to do it if it is going to outpace the support given to Ukraine." Source: https://w…
It shouldn’t be surprising that a country with a war economy has a higher first derivative at producing material, the question of import is 1. What is the difference between absolute quantities comparing against all relevant players, 2. How long would it take to bridge the gap at current production rates, and 3. Can that rate of production be sustained long enough for it to alter any fundamentals? The point to rebut…
Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
431–440 of 530 posts
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#432Earlier quoted context omitted.
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"Soviet Union" means the Union of (16) Soviet Socialistic Republics. It's an abbreviation. The republics originally were parts of Russian Empire, so their status was raised, at least nominally (because revolutioners, including Lenin, condemned imperializm and conquesting other nations - something that was considered perfectly normal in the West at the time).
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#433Why are we cheering this? Is it because Russia supported Assad and now Russia has been defeated? Because we love Ukraine right? Also, Assad and Russia don't like LGBT persons? Can someone spell it out for me in plain words please, I'm on the spectrum.
The Assad family ruled Syria with an iron fist for decades. They imprisoned, bombed and killed hundreds of thousands of their own people.
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#434Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#435Earlier quoted context omitted.
> a literal terrorist group who committed a terrorist attack killing innocent civilians in Turkey just over one month ago! Not condoning the attack, but it's also not that black and white. It was an attack on a defense contractor.
So, what, if Al Queda shot up a Boeing facility that would all be fine then? And so was the attack on the Pentagon?
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#436I'm not really aware of what's going on in Syria, and not really sure who's worse - Assad or the rebels, but it seems clear that Iran & Russia, which were main backers of Assad regime, appears extremely weak. That's understandable for Iran which may want to avoid to overextend itself following the recent events, but it's hard to comprehend why Russia was unable to do anything at all. In any case, it seems like there…
Russia is putting everything it has to the Ukrainian front since 2.5 years and signs of exhaustion are clearly visible. They have lived up their Soviet tank reserves, are offering astronomical amounts of money for soldiers, are using north Korean ammunition, huge inflation etc
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#437Earlier quoted context omitted.
That could only be strange for him if he doesn't understand the structure of the war or he hasn't been following current events. Assad was only able to take back Syria with air support from Russia, ground support from Hezbollah and re-enforcement by Iran and other Iranian aligned groups in Syria. Russia is busy and drained of resources because of its misadventure in Ukraine, Hezbollah is reeling from it's shocking lo…
For me, Taleb is the Levante expert, I simply don't know anyone else. His view that the interference of all possible powers has only brought disaster seems plausible to me. He has criticized the export of fanaticism from Saudi Arabia in particular for a while. The downfall of a regime is perhaps simply difficult to predict. I experienced this in the case of the GDR. Suddenly it was gone, everyone was astonished.
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#438Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just to be clear, you're talking about prisons like Sednaya, the infamous "Human Slaughterhouse?" The one where Assad imprisoned thousands of political opponents, journalists, military deserters, Muslim minorities and civilians, and then systematically tortured and executed those people? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sednaya_Prison
I do remember the same shit promoted when Gaddafi was toppled. And then Western mass media stopped showing news from "freed" Libya. Because, you know, public executions and human slave markets kinda not something, their population should know about, unless it's done by "bad guys".
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#439Great. So when are the elections? There are going to be elections, right?
Re: Syrian government falls in end to 50-year rule of Assad family
#440Earlier quoted context omitted.
I partly agree, in that by drip feeding Ukraine supplies we have given Russia time to build up their production rates. And my earlier comment was disputing the idea that drip feeing the supplies was some kind of intentional strategy. With regards to the broader claim that Russian production is outpacing that of the west. Yes, with artillery shells that's probably true, though we are continuing to ramp production. The…
They have destroyed the rest of their industrial capacity and economy in the process, an outcome very much desired by US and friends.