Do you want a recipe for disaster? Make sure you subordinate military strategy and tactics to political considerations. That is what happened to Ukraine in its long awaited counter offensive against Russian held Kherson in south Ukraine, which was launched on Sunday. The attack occurred at several points along the Kherson front. Here is a summary of the activity (note–AFU refers to Armed Forces of Ukraine, AFRF is the acronym for Armed Forces of the Russian Federation):
▪️ #Vysokopolye sector: AFU attacked #Olgino and #Vysokopolye, but heavy artillery fire thwarted their plans; fighting continues.
▪️ #Andreevka sector: AFU advanced several km towards Sukhoy Stavok and occupied the populated area. AFU advanced towards #Lozovoye. Fierce fighting is taking place on the outskirts.
▪️ #Snigirovka sector: AFRF repelled counterattack in #Blagodatnoye direction.
▪️ AFRF repelled offensive from Posad-Pokrovskoye direction.
▪️ #Pravdino lost, but retaken by AFRF.
▪️ #Nikolaev-#Kherson Trunk Road: AFRF repulsed AFU attack.
Ukraine only managed to capture Sukhoy Stavok, a small village with no strategic importance. The Ukrainian operation, however, proved very costly to Ukraine, which lost more than 1200 soldiers and almost 50 tanks. The tanks and tank crews are not easily nor quickly replaced. This does not even qualify as a Pyrrhic victory. The Russians still hold the territory.
So why now? Why did Ukraine launch the attacks without adequate support of close air support and artillery? Ukraine was coerced. Ukraine’s President Zelenski was “under pressure” to launch the counteroffensive, according to the New York Times:
As the bloody artillery battle in Ukraine’s east settles into a stalemate, the war appears now to be a waiting game for a long-promised Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The timing for any move to break the deadlock has emerged as a pivotal strategic decision for Ukraine’s government.
…
The initial target of any counterattack is widely assumed to be Russian positions on the western bank of the Dnipro River. Move too soon, though, and the Ukrainian army may prove unready and insufficiently armed to ensure victory, military analysts say. Wait too long, and political backing in Europe may waver as energy prices soar.Political pressure is mounting for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to make a move even as it remains unclear whether his military has amassed the necessary weaponry and manpower.
“The very difficult state of our economy, the constant risks of air and missile attacks and the general fatigue of the population from the difficulties of war will work against Ukraine” over time, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former minister of defense, wrote in the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper. He said the military should be prepared to advance, rather than defend.
If you think being pressured by the government funding your war is inconsequential, think again. I have witnessed how the United States applies pressure to guys we funded to carry out military operations they were not equipped or qualified to execute. In the fall of 1988 I was the CIA’s Honduran analyst. Nicaraguan Contras were “hidden” in CIA funded bases scattered along Honduras’ southern border with Nicaragua. In October 1988, Congress lifted the prohibition on funding and arming the Contras. The war was back on after a two year hiatus imposed because of the Iran Contra scandal, which became public following Eugene Hasenfus being shot down in October 1986 while trying to deliver air dropped supplies to Contra forces in the Honduran Bocay.
So the funding pipeline was open, the Contras were being armed and we, the analysts, waited for the ensuing battles to begin. But instead of Contra forces ambushing and destroying Nicaraguan military units, the Contras were being chewed to pieces. Why?
That is when I learned that the Contra forces were entering Nicaragua without weapons. One of my buddies who was involved in the logistics effort to supply the Contras tipped me off that the AK-47s the Contras were supposed to carry had not arrived. But, the Chief of the CIA’s Central American Task Force was under pressure from Congress and the White House to show progress. The Contras were refusing to cross the border without weapons and ammunition in hand. The CIA did not have any to give them. What to do?
The perfect bureaucratic solutionn–shutdown the Contra camps in Honduras and stop feeding them until they cross the Nicaraguan border. Bingo! All food supplies were curtailed and the Contras were told they would not receive rations and weapons until they crossed into Nicaragua. As a result, the hungry campesinos, grabbed their back packs and trudged across the border while the CIA Chiefs briefed the politicians downtown that the Contra invasion was underway. Victory!
What do you think happens to a 1000 unarmed guys wearing camo marching along a jungle trail in northern Nicaragua who are considered the enemies of Nicaragua? If you guessed, they are attacked, you are a winner. We, the analysts, were getting intel reports about the major casualties among the infiltrating Contra units and initially concluded that the Contras had no will to fight.
It was only after we learned they had no weapons and were coerced to enter Nicaragua unprepared to fight that we understood the perfidy of the CIA managers at Headquarters in charge of the war in Nicaragua. But there were still some CIA officers who were men of honor. One of the CIA paramilitary officers on the ground in southern Honduras was so outraged by the slaughter of the Contras that he ignored direct commands, grabbed a helicopter, flew into Nicaragua and started picking up wounded Contras and flew them to medical treatment in Honduras. He was fired subsequently for insubordination, but wore his dismissal as a badge of honor. For those of us who knew of his bravery and refusal to play the bureaucratic games, he was and remains a hero.
This is just one example of how politics interferes with sound military strategy and tactics. I am certain there are similar tales from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. It appears that Ukraine was forced into launching ground attacks that could not compel the Russians to retreat. As a result, Ukraine incurred significant casualties and loss of key materiel and Russia remains in control of the territory around Kherson. It appears that the United States is doing to Ukraine what it did to the Contras. God help them.
God is not in the business of helping a nazi-infested and murderous regime, ruling upon a nazi-infested and murderous military, is He? Would He deliver such regime and such military so that they could carry on assassinating civilians all along the east, just because the speak Russian, and won’t submit to Kiev’s genocide? The God of truth and justice will surely help the side that defends truth and justice at this juncture, which is Russia and the Russian republics/oblasts in Ukraine.
You have verbalized the prayers of many.
The God of Truth & Justice…? What IS That…? Gods don’t even exist, No-one has talked to one, Ever…just a figment. over 20 thousand years, Man has invented every God, he ever needed, for his own purposes. Larry is absolutely right when he says that political desire should never command the battlefield, leave that to military strategists and logistics. The CIA officer WAS a hero, ignorance at the Pentagon and Intelligence trying to push for a battle victory for political reasons got instead, a defeat. Same in Ukraine. America is prepared to fight to the last Ukrainian soldier, even if they are a Nazi Battalion….
You don’t believe in God? You’re issue is with Him rather than posters on this board.
I’ll pray for you…..
Yes that is certainly the mantra of our “modern times”, articulated in Nietzsche lament/boast that “God is dead…and we have killed him”. But Nietzsche, if not the author, then a fine articulator of the Nihilism that he predicted for our times, also foresaw the catastrophic results for the new, enlightened century ahead.
You may or may not be right that there is no God. I happen to think you are disastrously wrong. But if you are right, neither you or I will ever know.
If your standard of evidence is that he talk to you, then there must be many other phenomenon we take for granted that you cannot believe in: dark matter, evolution, the big bang. You might argue that there is evidence for these things. So they say, but all the evidence has some other plausible explanations and none of it can really talk to you.
Nietzsche was a bright intellect and wonderful writer. He understood the consequences of his decision/conviction that “God is Dead”: how does one have moral values if we are just animated sacks of meat with appetites ? Although he wrote trying to answer that question, I would argue that the evidence of his life suggests the answer is, “it’s not possible”. Best summed up I think in his statement that: “You can’t reject the Christian’s God and keep the Christians values”
God is a projection by human minds who spent their formative years as pygmies in constant terror of giants better known as parents and or adults. It’s so conditioning and dependent and fundamentally terrifying an experience that it can’t do otherwise than permeate the entire being of these creatures. Childhood brings with it the same experiences as the “religious “ individual – being monitored, observed and judgementally weighed in a life or death balance. Recall that for long epochs of human history parents were legally entitled to kill their children – the Roman idea of the pater familias. In hunter gatherer societies it was necessary to keep family size no larger than two or three children. That period occupies much of our species’ duration here. What you are trying to talk about is ethics, morality, a sense of right and wrong – and the origins of a human “conscience,”or consequent aptitude for feelings of guilt, shame or remorse. It’s a very complex subject. How useful were the various dogmas of sky gods who magically punished misbehaviour in ordering societies? Rather debatable. Look at the sagas of the world religions which are ongoing sequences of conquest, pillage enslavement and genocide?
-Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, in order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you could sin against the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).
Inspiring, eh what? Overflowing with compassion and empathy.
Yes. And my name is Jump.
Agnosticism and atheism are borne of extreme leftist ideology, and you can tell, as they tend to be the biggest hypocrites, as they cite authors who speak to ‘higher beings’. And they also tend to project their own insecurities. For example, Jump says, concerning his feelings for his parents, ‘Childhood brings with it the same experiences as the “religious “ individual – being monitored, observed and [sic] judgementally weighed in a life or death balance.’ And Jump continues this diatribe with,
‘…It’s so conditioning and dependent and fundamentally terrifying an experience that it can’t do otherwise than permeate the entire being of these creatures’, but jump’s anecdote is kinda sad.
So I say to you, Jump, you can speak for your self concerning your past life and oppression from your parents as they ‘gathered and slaughtered’ your siblings.
But why has that ‘permeation’ never stopped–even now–teenagers from slaughtering their own parents, as it also did not in the slightest cause any hesitation among Mao’s Red Guard? Thats cause your full of gas.
You see, a strict upbringing underpinned with threats of violence rather than example has more often than not led to REBELLION
God ordering the slaughter of child-sacrificing tribes during the Old Testament is not synonymous with Christ commanding to love your enemy. And you can call me, Louie when youre ready for some more schooling, son
Indeed Pito. 😅
Like others, I’ve noticed the prolixity of atheists. They seem to think quantity trumps quality. It doesn’t. Never has.
You are confusing God with institutional religion. Man-made ideas about God do have a poor track record. But they are mostly attempts to apply the laws and emotions of this world to a higher reality that transcends them.
“Gods don’t even exist, No-one has talked to one, Ever…just a figment.” (Element @ 16:08)
Humans may or may not have talked to gods or God, but God has talked to various humans: mystics, saints, and sages who have spoken spiritual truth, usually ignored or misinterpreted by those they tried to awaken from the lower mind’s domination.
Yep…inspiring Empathy… any gruesome act is OK if done in the name of some mythical “God”. Sounds like a great excuse… My (invented) ‘God”…is ‘better’ than YOUR (invented) “God”. All I have to do is say it is in Gods name and everyone is supposed to nod in supplication, penitence and reverence. Well said Pito…seems you get it…it has been the cause of millions of deaths across humanity Those who espouse the “Godliness” but cannot live it. Whatever happened to Love Thy Neighbor, Peace be Unto You, Treat All men as a Brother, Forgive Them Their Sins… As Pope Francis said recently…” Who am I, to Judge…?”
The same God you pretend not to know of will be the same God who eventually throws you into Hell Fire for continuing to commit the unpardonable sin, that is, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit… IF you don’t repent, come to God, and realize why His Way is THE ONLY Way.
I’ve learned when it comes to matters of theology it is best to tread lightly. One’s certainty about the nature of Deity has been an unfortunate source of conflict during the ages. If you are certain of your own salvation, go in peace and pray that others may find the peace you enjoy. Leave judgment and punishment to the Eternal.
Dear LJ,
Please know that I do not personally wish ill will toward the (current) God-denier above, nor was I *personally* judging him from my own heart. And, of course, I hope he repents and learns that the God who made him is good. God is not mocked, but He is very good.
And also, please know I do leave all judgement and punishment to the Eternal (as He will also judge me).
That said, I was merely succinctly stating – factually and accurately (as you do in your own blog) – what the Eternal *Himself* tells us His Judgement will be to those who deny Him, that is, to those who continue to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
Allow this, from God’s Own Word:
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” – Jesus in John 12:48 (NKJV)
“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” – Jesus in Mark 3:28-29 (NKJV)
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, UNBELIEVING, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” – Jesus in Revelation 21:6-8 (NKJV) (EMPASIS added, regarding those who deny God)
Note: The “lake of fire” is above is Hell Fire.
So unless someone wants to deny Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, (which many will do of course), what I said in my original post was again, factual and accurate.
You yourself, LJ, also speak hard truths in your blog to refute those who try to deny it.
Thank you, LJ.
Sign in my favorite Irish bar: No discussion of politics or religion. Violaters will be banned.
Well said.
Well put. When young I was told don’t discuss religion or politics. Of course in this forum the latter is why we visit your post.
Steven Weinberg said:
““Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you’d have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”
So. If a person who has no religion is persuaded to do something bad and there are plenty of evidence of this, then in fact they cannot be good. They lack moral courage. But perhaps they were “good”, but were stupid. Perhaps they were “good” but their circumstances changed which made them do “bad things”
If we take a person who is religious and they are persuaded by some demagogue of the church to do something bad then are they are a good person turned bad by religion, or maybe they lacked moral courage or were stupid or maybe they were bad in spite of their religion. Who knows? Weinberg doesn’t.
Weinberg is condemning religion on the basis of the fact that some religious people do bad things, and implying that non religious people who do bad things must be inherently bad, because they wouldn’t do them if they were good.
When any person decides to take a stand one way or the other for or against religion with someone of the opposite view, an observant Martian would find that both are engaging in a religious activity, pretty hard to tell them apart. Neither can prove the other wrong. To take issue with someone else’s beliefs is a sure sign that its really about self exultation over the other, not some altruistic attempt to bring the other to the path of righteousness and goodness.
Religion is a way that many people explain the inexplicable, sometimes called the non-rational. There are many things that rational science cannot through empirical measurement related to some theory provide an answer for eg. What caused the “big bang?” In fact was there a “big bang.” Why do we exist? What is our purpose? Is there such a thing as a “purpose” for a life?
If some people turn to religion to answer these questions that is their legitimate right and if it helps them to find their place in the scheme of things making them happier what’s not to like?
The great religions provide a framework of thought for people to understand the world and their place in it. When they meet as a part of organised religions, and take part in rituals and discussions, it provides them with tangible meaning and food for thought. And for good people which is most of us, there can be considerable benefit in this.
There will always be the “selective literalists” who pick out bits of the “good books” that suit their evil purposes, but that doesn’t make religion dangerous, the danger is the person.
Demagogues will also take religion and also use it to influence people for evil purposes. Hitler was a demagogue, but didn’t use religion as his main platform, he used racism and killed fifty million people. It’s not religion that’s the problem as usual its the people.
A “New Atheist” of which Sam Harris is one has proposed in his writings that some propositions (religious) are so dangerous that it may even be ethical to kill people for believing them. Not too far from the Catholic Church’s approach with the inquisition. I like Sam, he is a good thinker on other things, but the idea he seems to have, that Moslems, all 1.8 Billion of them are the enemies of the secular people, because of their beliefs is quite extraordinarily dangerous. And rather silly. My Doctor is a Moslem and she is a really good doctor and a very nice person. I don’t intend to pop her off because she might have some of Sam’s dangerous propositions in her head.
There have been many atrocities perpetrated in the name of religion, but scratch the surface and invariably you will find, greed, retribution for wrongs or some other non-spiritual and banal explanation for the crimes.
There have been plenty of people “sucked in” by religions, but there have been just as many “sucked in” by religions like globalism and neo-liberal economics. These economic religions no rational basis for the collective benefits they claimed, they have been a self serving system for the elites to screw as much wealth out of us as they can. These economic religions have been far more dangerous than the spiritual kind.
When I was young, I was a bit like Sam, religious people are stupid, and religions are the same. But as I got older and things that seemed so black and white when I was young became a lot more complicated, I changed my view. I also had a Canadian work mate and friend who was one of the finest, and most ethical men I ever knew and it turned out he was a devout Christian.
I now call myself a Christian, not because I go to Church and believe everything in the Bible, but I rather Iike Christ and look up to him. He was a bit of a lefty like me and his sermon on the mount seemed like excellent advice if one wished to live peacefully and in harmony with other people.
It is debatable that Christ the person even existed, but it is the idea of Christ that is important and the words attributed to him that matter. Not the reality.
Problem with such a discourse is that folks simply state that there is no God, often arguing that “you can’t see God” as in a scientific experiment. Well the problem is that most of us don’t even TRY to find God, and find it convenient to pretend to be atheists and agnostics, and more often than not, to avoid some restrictions that come your way if you try to follow a certain belief. The other aspect of course is that modern science gives us tangible results that you can buy using money, whereas a visit to the temple may not give you the million things you wish for.
As far as not having seen God is concerned, I think most of us also haven’t seen electrons that are supposed to cause electric currents. We only read about atomic structure in classrooms, based on the famous experiments by our notable scientists. We believe the scientists, as they have seen evidence of the existence of these basic but complex atomic structures. But even scientific theories are sometimes proven wrong as science progresses.
I think God’s existence also needs to be treated similarly. We simply see the things that happen around us as actions and reactions to physical and chemical processes, while ignoring the larger question of what eventually drives these processes. If you pushed a pen on a table from one of its ends, and I were to simply ask you why the other end of the pen also moves – I will bet that most folks will not be able to scientifically drill down to more than 3 levels of “whys” for that phenomenon (it is a solid, it moves because of Newtonian physics, there are inter-atomic forces that hold a solid, then there is quantum physics). What about drilling down further? Why does science stop at a point? Because we do not have all the answers, but we can keep drilling down.
There are some seers who are said to have seen or felt God through their strong psychic powers. They have told about methods (mostly around meditation) that could be used to seek God, but they have also told us about human limitations. Therefore, it would be puerile to completely deny the existence of God. It is up to us give the seers some benefit of doubt, just as we believe the ‘erring’ scientists.
At any rate, this debate about God’s existence has ‘existed’ since time immemorial, long before modern science came in to existence, and I don’t expect that it would get solved on an internet platform. But the best thing about God I know, is that many individuals have tried to obtain that infinite power that he or she is supposed to wield, but outside mythology not ONE has been able to get that power for selfish purposes.
God is what ever brings you peace. No one can make that choice for you.
Your God “trumps” mine for sure. Machinegun to death 19 little children who committed the crime of attending elementary school while being Hispanic in Texas near the border – and he forgives you. Awesome. And that’s just for starters. Get back to your Buy Bull, human sacrifice effigy worshiper No Name. Yes – church. Where the first thing I see is a huge statue of a beautiful young man in his prime, nailed to pieces of wood after being brutally tortured. Being once upon a time a young man in my prime myself, it sent a particularly chilling and obviously well thought out message coursing through my nervous system.
“He died for our sins,” said the crucifixionist. Yes, you better believe he did.
You cannot discount the Verses I gave, Pito… Jesus said them Himself.
If you think God and Jesus will just forgive everyone and no one goes to Hell, you do not know your Bible, nor God’s Love, nor His Truth, nor Jesus Sacrifice. In fact “few” (relatively) are Saved, not all, according to Jesus. An on-going blasphemer of the Holy Spirit will not be (although I hope He comes to God eventually to be Saved). In fact, those who continue in habituated sin will not be. But again, that’s in the Bible per Jesus; and for sure, Jesus’ Sacrifice does not go against what Jesus Himself teaches.
That said, I know LJ does not want Spiritual (verbal) warfare in his comments (and hopefully not from blasphemers either).
And I agree with you in general about your favorite Irish bar: No discussion of religion or politics. Violaters will be banned.
So I will spare LJ the hassle (sorry to be a hassle, LJ) and ban myself from hereon, not only in in this blog, but from all future blogs.
And I will also hope the (current) God-deniers and others who make up a “god” of their own convenience will also consider doing the same.
Sorry again, LJ. And thank you for your fairness.
I allow a healthy, fact based debate. I only ban trolls intent on disrupting a rational discussion.
Well NoName…. That’s only a belief. Your belief. I’m happy that you believe and you find peace with that. Good for you, Brother. Remember that…one has to believe in order to have belief. I’ve seen too much to ‘Believe’. So kindly threats of “Hell Fire” serve only to wonder how ‘Believers” seem to be more like ‘Haters’ instead of actually following the tenets of the ‘Teachings’. Again….this ‘Hell Fire’ is just a belief, it has No meaning for me, I don’t believe any of it… I’m glad it works for you… :-} I treat everyone with kindness, respect and above all… Dignity. I think my way, is the ONLY WAY too and I don’t threaten strangers with ‘Hell Fire’….. Do You…? And frankly, Gods have very little to do with Contras and Ukraine SMO, do they… or they would stop it if they could…wouldn’t they…?
There is no god, but there are the AK12, TOS1A, Msta. They will defend the Russian oblasts.
Erwan Le Castel is a French Dombass military and his comments are always welcome. Right here : https://reseauinternational.net/les-combats-pour-kamianka-sont-en-cours/
He gives us a pretty elaborate view on a Russian offensive with a very interesting use of drones. What he says recoups Xavier Moreau analysis (he lives in Moscow and crank out a video every week) that Putin is buying it’s time to avoid losses. He faces the bulk of the work now with the Ukrainian ‘ligne Maginot’ and will not swallow the Kiev bait. Zelinsky hopes for a strike on Kiev headquarter that won’t happen.
Another interesting point is the BBC Russian death toll investigation. Since no figures are being publicized by Moscow, they listed the graveyards new listings and accounted around 5000 deaths which is pretty close to the last Russian public figure. Most of them were victims of the unprepared bliezkried of march.
Bottom line, Putin will let his noose tighten slowly but surely.
Hi Spirou,
those BBC numbers should be treated with some caution. They have scoured the public databases, registries and newspapers for all notices they could find of deceased Russian servicemen. They have included everyone they could find.
Those include (by their own admission) Russian volunteers serving NOT with the Russian armed forces but with the LPR or DPR armies. It also includes members of Wagner who were killed. Of those 5000 or so, hundreds did not serve with the Russian armed forces. These men are already included in the casualty figures provided by the DPR and LPR, so you can’t simply add their numbers to those of the BBC for Russia, as you would be double counting at least some of them.
Then there are the peacetime casualties all armed forces incur (the US loses on average 120-140 men per month to non-combat related causes, for example). The BBC does not exclude these from their findings, so not all 5000 Russian KIA’s are combat related. Given that Russia’s total (non-mobilised) armed forces are close to 2 million men, there are bound to be hundreds of them over a period of 6 months.
So those 5000 names the BBC found, probably represent around 4000 KIA’s for the Russian armed forces.
Nice piece, Larry.
Yep. Seems a politically motivated operation signifying nothing. Also seems that even those US pundits most thirsty for Russian blood aren’t ready to accept that the operation is of any consequence. They’re all hedging (Even Turcoplier). Looks to me like a couple pinpricks resulting in many Ukie casualties and losses of critical tanks/expenditures of precious ordnance for a couple of meaningless minor gains – probably temporary – in no man’s land. The Ukies appear to continue to reveal a lack of ability to coordinate artillery with armor and infantry despite US SF/NATO training – either the training is not good or the Ukies don’t have what it takes to integrate and implement the training. Air support is not only also not coordinated, but appears totally absent. The troops involved are presumably fresh of training and therefore inexperienced (poor suckers).
The end is near for Ukraine. February?
Ukraine is no longer an organized fighting force. They haven’t been for 3-4 months. They have run out of young men, much less trained young men. The Russians are killing 3-4x more per day than the replacement rate. Think about that. Every day there are about 150-200 17 year old Ukrainian males who turn 18. (This number, btw, includes all the ones spirited out of the country at the start and the Russian ones in the Donbas.) The Russians are killing 500-1000 soldiers per day. Ukraine is simply running out of men with no possible way to replace them except with the old. What’s left are 3-week trained, 40-ish year old conscripts. We’re witnessing a freakin slaughter and a complete demographic catastrophe.
Correction…includes = does not include
The Brits are claiming to train thousands outside Ukie but firstly time not on their side second these are still inexperienced guys and third as death mounts how motivated are these guys going to be to get in there.
I still find the extent to which the Brits and Johnson want to inflame this war surprising. Brits are usually more anti-war than the US but here they are so brainwashed and thirsty for Russian blood and British heroism that they lust for this war.
God is not in the business of helping a nazi-infested regime, ruling upon a nazi-infested military, so that they carry on assassinating Russian civilians in the east of the country with impunity – as they did for 8 long years, to this very day.
The God of truth and justice will surely deliver the side that defends truth and justice at this juncture. Russia and the Russian republics and oblasts are fighting on such side, for their own deliverance and the freedom of the whole world.
Double amen.
Sorry for this repeat. I thought the first posting was lost.
It was worth repeating….
Indeed, it was worth repeating.
Speaking of hoary deities, the world renowned Saint, Saint Alin, once commented within earshot of someone who remembered and recorded it: The Pope? How many divisions does he have?
Many. Remember that during the Crusades for Christians against the Saracens, we even had the Childrens Crusade. So desperate, an army of 10-12 year olds actually sailed as far as Southern France before someone with sense, stopped them. To answer your question, during the Middle Ages in England, Bishops were as powerful as the King and fielded just as large an Army. Noblemen and Kings requiring favors from a Bishop would have to finance another Crusade OR commit to building and financing a Cathedral, a 200 hundred year undertaking….. I’m happy to tip a pint with you at your Irish Pub sometime Pito…
Top of the mornin’ to you, Element. I’d love to but it closed down eons ago. It was a former speakeasy just a half block north of Greenwich Village during prohibition. The characters there would alternately fascinate, educate and occasionally cause you to gasp.
Well, politicians are the enemy of the military. One of Hitler’s downfall’s reasons, no retreat for political propaganda. Now the Ukrainians have squandered their last men on a propaganda move. But they were lost, regardless. It is a tragic moment in history. Hundreds of thousands of men dead, many more wounded and maimed. There families and friends, on both sides, will not forget for a long time. In war, as court, one side loses. The other side loses more
Well over 1, 000 KIA in the south alone on day 1. Many wounded and heavy loss of mechanized equipment.
Forcing Ukraine to attack is not just ruthless but dumb. Up until now, we congratulated them just for holding ground. Now they have advertised an offensive and there is no way to hide if/when it fails.
I wonder if Russia has prepared an offensive to launch when the Ukrainians are spent? Just think of what a sudden collapse of Ukrainian lines would do to the narrative. No one thinks Russia can do that but it would not be the first time they surprised us.
Funny how this ‘offensive’ is not even widely reported outside of traditional propaganda sources inside Russia.
Honestly, the State media don’t think it’s even such a huge deal, just ordinary day at the frontlines.
(My 5 cents perspective from Russia)
Another informative article Larry. Congrats. I think the Ukrainian counter will continue, even if only for political reasons. Seems like another is developing in the Izyum region to the North. Since HIMARS have now taken out all the support bridges and pontoons south of Kherson, isn’t this a huge problem of re-supply to the Kherson region against the Ukie counter…? It’s gonna be hard to take Mykolaiv now. Especially since maritime landing seems to be out of the options. Same for Odessa.
What counter? Ukrainians destroyed all of the bridges? First I’ve heard of that. Last I read, the Antonovsky Bridge was completely repaired. You should take your Ukrop propaganda elsewhere, no one is going to fall for it here.
Nah…there’s photos. Theres only 3 bridges including the dam bridge. The piling structures are intact but the road and rail are impassable. Road probably will be repaired within a week. Meanwhile the temp pontoon bridges were also taken out before completion. This reported on multiple sites. Notice the counter is still going. There are 2 areas of concern where a cauldron might develop in encirclement of Lugansk Troops.
Apparently, according to International Law, Russia has to wait until the results of the Kherson District vote to join Russia, before Russia can move it’s regular troops in. They have amassed some 60,000 just to the east, with a lot of armor. Vote is on the 7th or maybe 11th. Check out Military Summary on Youtube. He posts around 3pm.
If the UFA desires to be slaughtered on the open plains, and lose the few armored assets they have, Russia will not complain and Odessa will be that less defended. Even if the bridges were destroyed (NOT), Russia forces have demonstrated rapid repair.
Nothing has been easy as the point is NOT to take Mykolaiv, the POINT is to destroy the Ukrainian military. You probably have missed that point from wherever you are getting your info.
There is a Southfront piece that suggests the need for Ukraine to attack is the MIC demanding that there is proof of their weapons success.
Hell they are paying a lot of school fees right now.
Personally I think Russia may end up regretting all those long distance attacks on officer meetings. There is no one same left in Kiev.
Hi Michael…the advantage of all those long range strikes is that they are taking out training groups and reservists Before they get to the front line. Which means there aren’t as many battalions to relieve the weary front line troops….. And they have severely reduced the Command & Control structure. As well as military factories and supply depots. Also armor on supply trains. And it is much easier to coax the Ukraine Battalions into the open and reduce them by shelling than the risk of city shelling and street to street fighting. We’re seeing this more, even up toward Kharkiv. It’s slower, but safer for the Lugansk / Donbass troops who are doing most of the action alongside Wagner Group and Chechen’s ….
Zelensky is supposedly a coke addict, isn’t he (per Ramzan Kadyrov).
Maybe the CIA withheld his latest fix until he pushed his Ukros to their deaths.
Interesting how the “counter-offensive” began shortly after BoJo’s visit to Zelensky. I suspect he was the messenger “coercing” Zelensky to attack or lose support of the west.
Good Observation. Notice that after the initial discussions with Ankara in March, saying Ukraine would remain NATO neutral, disarming and stopping shelling Donbass was agreed. Then BoJo showed up. It’s rumoured that he told Ze, if you sign that, we will not sign anything else with you. No money, no weapons, no support. No joining EU. So Ze instead demanded the immediate return of Donbass and Crimea. Non-negotiable for Russia. He torpedoed the amnesty talks deliberately.
About those Nicaraguan “Contras” and the CIA (“Can’t Identify Anything”) heroes who trained, funded, and armed them. From Wikipedia:
If someone in the CIA did indeed force a gaggle of these murdering thugs to march unarmed into Nicaragua (where their intended peasant victims most assuredly did not welcome them) then for the first and only time in history, the CIA may have done something commendable. Now, if only they and their British counterparts at MI-6 would do the same courteous betrayal of the neo-Nazi thugs that we/they installed in Kiev in 2014, the Russian de-Nazification operation can proceed even more quickly.
Right! I was in Nicaragua in 1976, two years the earthquake. The only buildings still standing in Managua were Bank of America and the Police station. The $200 million from the US for reconstruction disappeared into Somosa’s hip pocket, while the people starved. When the Sandinistas finally kicked Somosa out and restored the country the US sent in the Contras to murder, rape, butcher the locals. The CIA’s failure was a god send.
There’s plenty of those Nicaraguan murdering thugs living in the USA now, brainwashed to fight for the USA and to be thankful for the chance, but trained at depots and not at The School of the Americas like their fathers. It’s interesting to see the propaganda on Nicaragua change over the years. The Ukrainians have a lot bleeding left to do, this may take a while, you should be patient. 30k died in Nicaragua, that would mean we need 300k dead brave Ukrainians to match, population adjusted. It’s a damn shame that none of us saw that America called it’s own sons McNamara’s morons, and to think Russians have to die for this.
I beg to differ. Military strategy and tactics are always subordinated to political considerations. You are simply referring to instances in which those considerations are unreasonable. In the current Russian SMO, military strategy and tactics are subordinated to the political considerations that casualties among Ukrainian civilians and among Russian and Donbas militia forces be kept to a minimum. This conflict would look a lot different if those, in this case reasonable, considerations did not apply.
Very True Simon. Russia has been uber cautious about targeting. It seems everytime they hit a residential building, Ukraine was using it for military purposes or housing. When they took out the AirForce Officer Club, there were some civilian casualties across the square, yet their target they hit was top level military and foreign arms sellers. Lavrov constantly mentions adhering to International Law. It appears that is their aim, so I think their advance has been slowed to minimize civilian casualties, they are not carpet bombing cities with mines as Ukraine is….
So went was this shit show not a political operation?
Weaken Russian, collapse the Russian economy and Russian revolt !
NATO does not have the fire power or transgender balls big enough to invade Russia. So the next plan is rope a dope and create chaos and see if they get lucky.
If plan Chaos does not work then plan “D” for doomsday ie blow up a Nuclear Power Plant and kill everyone.
All that will be left is a DC bunker full of “fruit and nuts,” watching porn vids on Hunters laptop looking for Trump.
Another Nothing Burger ….however, even dead people can vote in America, so you never know.
Good one! I agree with you 100%
Larry I love your writing and thinking on just about anything. Reading your blog is like a breath of fresh air. Now I know this wasn’t the main point of your post and you were just giving an example of unncessary slaughter. But calling CIA guys directing a terrorist war against a democratic state honourable men i stretching it. The Contras were basically the Central American ISIS of the 80’s. They mostly attacked civilians, you know schools, rural hospitals and the like. And the Sandinistas were democratically elected. The Contras mainly consisted of members of Somozas vicious national guard, drug dealers, press-ganged farmers and a few upper class comprador types. But you knew all that.
The counter offensive is not over.
It’s purpose is more likely to hold Russians in place which it has done, in order to keep as much of Ukrainie as possible and shore up the rear.
A significant number of well trained Ukie fighting forces remain back and it’s likely they will be strongly reinforced by poles and NATO undercover plus special ops.
If the Ukies can halt Russias advance that in these conditions is a gain for them.
Not so hard to push back a bit chuck down thousand of mines and delay the oncoming forces.
Not over yet.
You’re probably correct Ash. Zelensky was talking about he made deals that will ensure Ukraine victory a few days ago which will all become clear Aug 29th. He’s meeting with polish president regularly etc. I’m one who bags on Putin going in light because you allow enemies to have too many votes as we see from progressively up-arming Ukraine to now, perhaps NATO troops now. Sure protecting civilians is nice and all but doesnt win wars. We killed like 60,000 civilians in Normady invasion and woulda lost if we fought like Putin. Do the French hate us today? no.
I cannot accept that last statement unchallenged. In Brittany, the residents were not enthusiastic about the massive destruction by Allied troops. When I was often in Brittany 30 years ago, I was amazed by a conversation with an elderly gentleman who was a German prisoner of war. He was very friendly and liked to talk and talk a lot about the past, in the absence of accusations and reproaches. The British and American bombardment was not an episode that excited him. The Anglo-American tactic of destroying civilian targets/infrastructure (power plants, waterworks) has only been readjusted with a little more precision to this day. In my place of residence, the elderly often talked about the bombings. Very small railway lines without strategic importance were bombed and houses were destroyed at the same time. Well, and the bombs that couldn’t be got rid of over the big city were dropped haphazardly on the return flight. During my socialization phase I was able to learn that we Germans deserved this because we are evil (England from 1905: Germans are child-eating Huns).
Despite these facts, I admire the US Constitution and speak for all who genuinely respect and protect that Constitution. and I’m certainly not ashamed for a second that I was born on July 4th. But on the contrary. But I am all the more disappointed about the political developments in the USA. In Germany it’s even worse. Some government politicians expressed their hatred of Germany years ago or didn’t know what to do with Germany. But have no problem enriching yourself with German tax money. It is obvious that in Germany too, not only politicians but also too many voters have considerable cognitive dissonance. I’ve finished.
Larry, I hope you write a book on the wars we fight. Your story on the contras is enlightening and more people need to hear it.
” the AK-47s the Contras were supposed to carry had not arrived.”
Thanks for an interesting piece on what really happened.
But to me the question is:
Why was the CIA unable or unwilling to arm the Contras?
Surely that was within the capability of the CIA.
“If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. They don’t care for human beings.”
“If you look at those matters, you will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the United States of America is a threat to world peace.”
– Nelson Mandela
Reading Russian telegrams like Rybar I believe its still on going 10000 more trainees just came in from UK. I caution optimism of Russian victory based on body counts. Russians killed like 2 million afgans and still got exhausted and left. Similarly, So long as Ukraines fight they have a chance to do the same. I don”t think Ukrainans will give in they have already shocked me with their tenacity
One big difference between UKR and Afghanistan is that the people of UKR may want to be Russian citizens more than they want to be UKR citizens, at least in the East and South of the country. UKR is utterly corrupt and ridden with poverty as a result. Not a lot to like about it. Then there are the nazis. Last, but not least, is that the people of those regions have a high proportion of Russian ethnicity. Many of those ethnic Russians are, literally, fighting the UKR govt now along side the Russians – who can blame them, especially after being shelled by UKR for the past 8 years.
It will be easier for the Russians to kill 2 million Ukies than it was to kill that many Afghans, if indeed your figure is correct (which I doubt very much). A thousand more trainees from the UK. Oh wow! How frightening that must be to the Russians and Donbas militias. They might get so busy wiping out this new 1,000 that they miss lunch that day.
Nice synopsis of the neocon plan and talking points, though. Thanks for distilling down to its essence so we don’t have to slog through all the BS, smoke and mirrors. And thanks for the honesty too – the plan is to have Ukies be slaughtered (maybe up to 2 million of them) until the Russians get tired and go home. Then the Ukie oligarchs and the Bidens and neocons can have their playground back. I take it you’re not a Ukie or anyone else who has to be sacrificed because Russia Bad!
[Apologies if this is a double posting. My earlier attempt seems to have been lost.]
You are confusing God with institutional religion. Man-made ideas about God do have a poor track record. But they are mostly ignorant attempts to apply the laws and emotions of this world to a higher reality that transcends them.
“Gods don’t even exist, No-one has talked to one, Ever…just a figment.” (Element @ 16:08)
Men may or may not have talked to God, but God has spoken to many: saints, mystics, spiritual leaders. Their efforts to convey what they have experienced have often fallen on deaf ears and been distorted, but the Light still shines behind the clouds.
LJ , this ‘offensive’ was preceeded by the internet social media offensive too , calling out russian MOD data as fake and russian troops scrambling to flee the ukrainian troops..
the volume of ukrop trolls on twitter alone attacking the usual pro russian posters indicate there is something major happening , and this is what the western world good for.. winning the war on media and social media front , while losing the war on the ground lol..
this is deja vu of 2006 lebanon war, where IDF was potrayed as victorious when in reality the hezbollah stopped them cold and kicked IDF asses.. so much so that the elite golani brigade members prefer courtmartial than to enter south lebanon..
whats the point of winning propaganda war when the real war is lost ?