United States Biden administration policies and actions - megathread

King Arts

Well-known member
Thank you for being specific. Now, in response:

1. If NATO did violate its rules and inducted Ukraine while the war is still active, the Russian military would be crushed almost instantly. They have no way of competing with NATO air power; at absolute best they would inflict some painful losses before their air force and ground-based AA were wiped out. Doing so would take a few days to a few weeks, after which Russian artillery would be smashed to bits by air-strikes, and that's pretty much game.

2. I don't think NATO is going to have Ukraine join in the middle of the war, nor do I think they should. I think in the shitty situation going on right now, that massively supplying Ukraine in their fight against Russia is NATO's best move. It will probably result in either a stalemate or Ukrainian victory, and Russia ends up weakened and humiliated either way.

3. If NATO did join in the war directly, I still see the most direct result as being kicking Russia back across their border and stopping there, because Russia is a nuclear power and nobody in NATO wants to make them desperate.

4. In following of 3, I do not believe the Russians would actually escalate to launching nuclear weapons. Putin knows that if he does that, Russia will cease to exist. A humiliated Russia can recover and make another play at empire in 10-20 years, a Russia subjected to mass nuclear bombardment not only will cease to exist, it will go down in history as the most suicidal empire in human history, and its memory will be hated forevermore for all the destruction it wrecks.

You say you have no reason to think he wouldn't drop nukes, and I call utter bullshit. Mutually Assured Destruction has kept nuclear weapons from being employed in war since WWII ended, and nothing about its deterrent value against Russia (and China) has changed in that regard. Even if Putin lost his mind enough to try to push the button, you're presuming that his ruling cadre wouldn't stop him, and the fact that they don't want to die either gives them a pretty damned strong motivation for that.

If you want to make an argument that MAD no longer holds sway, you're going to have to do a hell of a lot better than 'I have no reason.' You need reasons, multiple strong ones, if you're going to convince people that Putin has become suicidal, and spiteful enough towards his own nation and people to destroy them as well.

5. Unless things do go nuclear, NATO joining this conflict would not expand it remotely close to enough to make it count as a 'World War.' Russia lacks the military strength to beat Ukraine by itself, Belarus is its only European ally, and their military is only a step or three above 'complete joke.' Given the competence displayed in Ukraine, the Russian military would be crushed very swiftly, and the conflict would be smaller than even Desert Storm in 1991.
Here is the thing if Russia is going to lose they will make sure the US or the UK ceases to exist as well. They are smart enough to know salami tactics. If NATO gets Ukraine they won’t be able to get it back in 10 years he’ll it might take 100 years the west would have to fall for them to have a chance at regaining it. Same reason we would not allow Mexico to be a Chinese ally with bases Russia won’t allow Ukraine to slowly slide into alliance with the west. And you are right that we could beat the Russians conventionally in a few days maybe weeks. But we wouldn’t get the chance. Because within the hour that Ukraine joins the alliance, Russian nukes would fly. I don’t know if they will concentrate on one nation to wipe it out, or if they distribute it to weaken the west in general. But the Russians would be perfectly happy making the west weak enough so that China wins forever. All because we wanted to fuck around with Ukraine.
 

Carrot of Truth

War is Peace
Geography and demographics.

Russia lives on the european plain otherwise known as the hoard lands or the high way of death. The only way they have found to secure themselves from invasion is to expand until they hit natural land boarders.

Russia's demographics have been fucked in order by world war one, the russian civil war, world war two, communism and then the 90s collapse and after all of this all of their fuck ups are finally catching up with them. Russia is one of the fastest aging societies in the world and will not have enough troops to protect their current boarders, maintain their industry and a bunch of other things.

But if they expand to those access points they wont need nearly as many troops to do so.

The wars and claims Putin has done has been done to plug those gaps Ukraine is not the end it is the middle.

The reason why we can't allow this is that in order for russia to feel secure it must take over a region of population that has more people then russia itself, directly control it and commit genocide on the people who live there. This means the balts this means poland up to the vistula river this means europe up to the capathians.

This includes nato allies, Russia considers this to be a series of wars for national survival and they might be right. Their fuck up in ukraine taught us that in a war Russia would be anhilated by nato. Which intitially made us happy until we realized that Russia will either have to be humilated or bring out the nukes when they think of themselves as being on their last generation.

So the current goal is to destroy the Russian army in Ukraine, so that doesn't become an issue, because once Ukraine is put down by the russians Nato is faced with two possibilities let russia genocide millions of people so they can feel safe, or we do to Russia what the Romans did to Cathrage and finally put them down once and for all.

I think any of that unfolding is highly unlikely never mind the Russians actually succeeding in those delusional plans. Anyways they should just focus on encouraging people to have more babies and ban birth control, That would be less problematic than failing at invasions and risking WW3 with the US.
 

King Arts

Well-known member
Geography and demographics.

Russia lives on the european plain otherwise known as the hoard lands or the high way of death. The only way they have found to secure themselves from invasion is to expand until they hit natural land boarders.

Russia's demographics have been fucked in order by world war one, the russian civil war, world war two, communism and then the 90s collapse and after all of this all of their fuck ups are finally catching up with them. Russia is one of the fastest aging societies in the world and will not have enough troops to protect their current boarders, maintain their industry and a bunch of other things.

But if they expand to those access points they wont need nearly as many troops to do so.

The wars and claims Putin has done has been done to plug those gaps Ukraine is not the end it is the middle.

The reason why we can't allow this is that in order for russia to feel secure it must take over a region of population that has more people then russia itself, directly control it and commit genocide on the people who live there. This means the balts this means poland up to the vistula river this means europe up to the capathians.

This includes nato allies, Russia considers this to be a series of wars for national survival and they might be right. Their fuck up in ukraine taught us that in a war Russia would be anhilated by nato. Which intitially made us happy until we realized that Russia will either have to be humilated or bring out the nukes when they think of themselves as being on their last generation.

So the current goal is to destroy the Russian army in Ukraine, so that doesn't become an issue, because once Ukraine is put down by the russians Nato is faced with two possibilities let russia genocide millions of people so they can feel safe, or we do to Russia what the Romans did to Cathrage and finally put them down once and for all.
I agree with a lot of what you said, I also believe in cycles of history. America is the new Rome. However I don't see Russia as Carthage, I know history doesen't repeat exactly, but Germany would be a better fit. We've had two wars with them, and the second is more famous and well known. If the Germans pissed us off and we were in a third war with them wouldn't we be pissed off enough to pull a Morganthou plan? Carthage like Germany was an economic power but it's cities were closer to Rome and able to be reached. Now ignoring nukes because those altered the cycles quite a bit. I'd say that Russia is more like Persia, it is far away and vast, people don't realize just how BIG it is. Yes our armies outclass their just like the Legions beat the Persian armies, they even sacked their capitals, we could probably do the same conventionally. But we couldn't hold all that territory. So eventually the war ends and they build back up again.
 

LordsFire

Internet Wizard
Here is the thing if Russia is going to lose they will make sure the US or the UK ceases to exist as well. They are smart enough to know salami tactics. If NATO gets Ukraine they won’t be able to get it back in 10 years he’ll it might take 100 years the west would have to fall for them to have a chance at regaining it. Same reason we would not allow Mexico to be a Chinese ally with bases Russia won’t allow Ukraine to slowly slide into alliance with the west. And you are right that we could beat the Russians conventionally in a few days maybe weeks. But we wouldn’t get the chance. Because within the hour that Ukraine joins the alliance, Russian nukes would fly. I don’t know if they will concentrate on one nation to wipe it out, or if they distribute it to weaken the west in general. But the Russians would be perfectly happy making the west weak enough so that China wins forever. All because we wanted to fuck around with Ukraine.

So you think the Russians would rather commit suicide than have a chance at victory 100 years down the road?

I don't. I think they'd rather choose life, and rather bet that the EU will implode under its own decadence over the next decade.

Who is our?

I hope russia wins. I don't give a fuck about Ukraine, I just want the evil government that oppresses me to lose, because I hate them.

In becoming consumed by hate, you are on the path to becoming just as destructive as that which you hate. That's a dark road to walk down.
 

Terthna

Professional Lurker
Geography and demographics.

Russia lives on the european plain otherwise known as the hoard lands or the high way of death. The only way they have found to secure themselves from invasion is to expand until they hit natural land boarders.

Russia's demographics have been fucked in order by world war one, the russian civil war, world war two, communism and then the 90s collapse and after all of this all of their fuck ups are finally catching up with them. Russia is one of the fastest aging societies in the world and will not have enough troops to protect their current boarders, maintain their industry and a bunch of other things.

But if they expand to those access points they wont need nearly as many troops to do so.

The wars and claims Putin has done has been done to plug those gaps Ukraine is not the end it is the middle.

The reason why we can't allow this is that in order for russia to feel secure it must take over a region of population that has more people then russia itself, directly control it and commit genocide on the people who live there. This means the balts this means poland up to the vistula river this means europe up to the capathians.

This includes nato allies, Russia considers this to be a series of wars for national survival and they might be right. Their fuck up in ukraine taught us that in a war Russia would be anhilated by nato. Which intitially made us happy until we realized that Russia will either have to be humilated or bring out the nukes when they think of themselves as being on their last generation.

So the current goal is to destroy the Russian army in Ukraine, so that doesn't become an issue, because once Ukraine is put down by the russians Nato is faced with two possibilities let russia genocide millions of people so they can feel safe, or we do to Russia what the Romans did to Cathrage and finally put them down once and for all.
It's kinda sad; while the Maidan Coup was in some part a rejection of Russia's influence over Ukraine, it ended up sowing the seeds of Ukraine's destruction. They would have been far better off just accepting being part of Russia's sphere of influence.



So you think the Russians would rather commit suicide than have a chance at victory 100 years down the road?

I don't. I think they'd rather choose life, and rather bet that the EU will implode under its own decadence over the next decade.
From Russia's perspective, what they're doing is necessary to ensure that Russia has a chance of still being around 100 years later. Everyone is set to implode, and they feel the need to prepare for a world where peace is a pipe dream. Therefor, in invading Ukraine, they are choosing life; from a certain point of view. It's a very "all or nothing" sort of mindset; one that a lot of their critics seem incapable of comprehending.
 

bintananth

behind a desk
I think any of that unfolding is highly unlikely never mind the Russians actually succeeding in those delusional plans. Anyways they should just focus on encouraging people to have more babies and ban birth control, That would be less problematic than failing at invasions and risking WW3 with the US.
If the Russian leadership actually sat down and considered things this question would come up: "Does NATO actually have a reason to start shit without provocation?"

The answer to that is "No" and if one NATO member starts shit the rest of NATO can say "good luck with that" and "please pass the popcorn".
 

The Whispering Monk

Well-known member
Osaul
it ended up sowing the seeds of Ukraine's destruction. They would have been far better off just accepting being part of Russia's sphere of influence.
It what way has Ukraine been destroyed? Yes, it's in the middle of a war for survival, but it's currently doing pretty well.
It's a very "all or nothing" sort of mindset; one that a lot of their critics seem incapable of comprehending.
A lot of us understand it, we just refuse to accept it as a meaningful way forward.
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member

The group estimates that between 78% and 90% of the estimated additional $200 billion the IRS will collect will come from small businesses making less than $200,000 annually.

Just 4% to 9% would come from businesses making north of $500,000 a year — meaning the legislation is in sharp contrast to President Biden’s longstanding claim that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.
 

bintananth

behind a desk

The group estimates that between 78% and 90% of the estimated additional $200 billion the IRS will collect will come from small businesses making less than $200,000 annually.

Just 4% to 9% would come from businesses making north of $500,000 a year — meaning the legislation is in sharp contrast to President Biden’s longstanding claim that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.
Oh, that's evil.

I need an accountant for my taxes and I don't bring home that much. Ideally a small business owner shouldn't need much more than a basic accounting class, a tax table, a depreciation schedule, a four function calculator, and a pencil or pen to get their tax returns mostly right.
 

bintananth

behind a desk
Sounds like an attack on the Middle Class privately owned businesses.

I wonder if it will be applied evenly between Liberal and Conservative businesses?
It won't be applied equally.

I'm still irritated that the 1040EZ was discontinued in 2018 because J. Random Teenager with a part-time job and no kids does not deserve the nightmare that is the full 1040.
 

Cherico

Well-known member
>implying liberals and demorats run mom and pop stores

they do

w1080-h608-p-k-no-v0


they tend to be pretenous as fuck but they do run small business's.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top