The appearance of three nuclear-related news items on the same day shows how serious the NATO-Russian proxy war is getting in the period between Russia’s victory in Artyomovsk and ahead of Kiev’s counteroffensive. Thursday was unique in the sense that three nuclear-related items made the news. The morning began with the FSB revealing that it earlier foiled a
Not that news in the UK could, by any stretch of the wildest imagination, be said to enjoy anything like авторитет (justifiable authority) but last night on the tele news (I think it was 'BBC', could have been 'Sky'.) I caught they'd been told the counteroffensive had started several days ago. Apparently the reliable Ukrainian (contradiction in terms) source said (something like) 'It's already been going on for several days now. This is a military operation. Don't expect us to announce it with the cutting of a ribbon.' Make of it what you will.
"...because NATO can’t defeat Russia through conventional means due to their military-industrial parity."
No, it's not because they can't defeat Russia; it's because they know they will be defeated by Russia.
"...their leaders have staked their entire reputations at home on that outcome."
No, it's not their leaders. It's their leaders' curators who guide them from the swamp.
"...they’re still obsessed with defeating Russia because their leaders have staked their entire reputations at home on that outcome."
No, it's not their reputations, it's their (what they perceive as) survival.
The grand irony being that no-one would object to interacting with them, if only they could do so on equal terms. It's the bully who's losing a game of marbles and insists he's winning so he can continue to steal everyone else's: no-one would mind (well, they could tolerate) playing with him, if he just wouldn't cheat. But cheating has worked so well for so long, it's just TOO hard to give up. Also, funny as nature is, it's the physically bigger boys with seemingly correspondingly retarded mental/emotional development who make the best bullies: it wouldn't kill him to be fair and give back the marbles he more stole than won to those he'd taken them from, but you try telling him that.
"...'losing face' before voters..."
Andrew, you surprise me: you think they could give half a shit about what voters think? Now, their mentors and curators who guide and cajole them... That's a different matter; that's where the money lies, and they've developed this perverse relationship with money/power.
"...hence why they’re seriously considering such unprecedented escalations, which is a reason for even the calmest observers to worry."
Yeah, but that was yesterday's news. They're on about chemical-weapon labs this morning.
"...ahead of Kiev’s counteroffensive."
Not that news in the UK could, by any stretch of the wildest imagination, be said to enjoy anything like авторитет (justifiable authority) but last night on the tele news (I think it was 'BBC', could have been 'Sky'.) I caught they'd been told the counteroffensive had started several days ago. Apparently the reliable Ukrainian (contradiction in terms) source said (something like) 'It's already been going on for several days now. This is a military operation. Don't expect us to announce it with the cutting of a ribbon.' Make of it what you will.
"...because NATO can’t defeat Russia through conventional means due to their military-industrial parity."
No, it's not because they can't defeat Russia; it's because they know they will be defeated by Russia.
"...their leaders have staked their entire reputations at home on that outcome."
No, it's not their leaders. It's their leaders' curators who guide them from the swamp.
"...they’re still obsessed with defeating Russia because their leaders have staked their entire reputations at home on that outcome."
No, it's not their reputations, it's their (what they perceive as) survival.
The grand irony being that no-one would object to interacting with them, if only they could do so on equal terms. It's the bully who's losing a game of marbles and insists he's winning so he can continue to steal everyone else's: no-one would mind (well, they could tolerate) playing with him, if he just wouldn't cheat. But cheating has worked so well for so long, it's just TOO hard to give up. Also, funny as nature is, it's the physically bigger boys with seemingly correspondingly retarded mental/emotional development who make the best bullies: it wouldn't kill him to be fair and give back the marbles he more stole than won to those he'd taken them from, but you try telling him that.
"...'losing face' before voters..."
Andrew, you surprise me: you think they could give half a shit about what voters think? Now, their mentors and curators who guide and cajole them... That's a different matter; that's where the money lies, and they've developed this perverse relationship with money/power.
"...hence why they’re seriously considering such unprecedented escalations, which is a reason for even the calmest observers to worry."
Yeah, but that was yesterday's news. They're on about chemical-weapon labs this morning.