quote:

Originally posted by Tirod:
Basing casualty reports or news on the war from media sources who are adamantly supporting Ukraine is an unreliable and one sided effort.

We started with "Russia attacked for no reason" when the last 15 years has been one complaint after another rejected and ignored.
Then it was "this is an upprovoked attack on NATO" when NATO is the one who expanded, contrary to their own charter, from 12 to 30 nations - and the biggest increase has been in eastern Europe.
Then the initial terms of surrender were ridiculed, "there are no biolabs or Nazis, Russia is crazy" and how has that turned out? Over 30, the funding started by Senator Obama, gain of function revealed in news articles from years ago, and pathogens named being worked on in the labs. Along with the sudden rediscovery of the Asov Battalion using the same insignia that Nazi Germany used in WWII.

Do you see the trend? OUR media is supporting all the anti Russian effort yet it's our media who has been investigated and found to have perpetrated an entirely fabricated lie - that Russia was behind the 2016 election. Not at all - but somebody else was. They just failed to win it like they have in the past, and 2020 was obviously their comeback to make sure they didn't lose again. There are three states poised to Decert now - it only takes two to revoke the election results.

Ukraine seems to dominate the news and that isn't getting discussed at all, is it?

Russia has limited aims in the Ukraine and the footdragging in the EU to accept them is all they got. It's a dance of saving face in the reality that Russia's complaints were valid and founded, with evidence now turned over to the UN. And other nations are now signing on asking why America is illegally funding gain of function research in 326 facilities around the world and 30 of those in Ukraine.

Yet Americans still don't get it - the media drumbeat goes on demanding war when the reality is there is only a very limited war and Russia isn't moving their goal posts, they already made the goal. They are now in the negotiation phase, it's America who is trying to escalate this into a major incursion in a NON NATO country who isn't signatory to anything prior to this. Crimea was worse - and ignored much more. Did the White House promise jets, did American ammo makers promise a million rounds (you won't get to buy them, they are carved out of the current production) are NY legislators promising to send donated guns to Ukraine? Has any of that passed muster under ITAR - you know, that law that is abused and which anti gunners tweaked to make computer programs that control a cheap 3D milling machine to cut a few notches in a 80% AR lower? Federal jail time is threatened. But now its suddenly OK to send ammo and guns and fighter jets to protect Ukraine?

Obama's corrupt payback scheme, Hunters crack pipe supply, the arms trafficking into the Middle East, the human trafficking all the way to America, and the pay for play oil pipeline board positions that Biden, Pelosi, Kerry and Romney sons all have hauling down hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. BTW, Hunter invested in a company called Rosemont, do you know Rosemont invested in the bio labs Obama has been financing since 2005?

It's open source stuff folks. Right there in the archives, newsprint magazines, but not reported now or even hinted at on the 6:00 lies. We are being scammed again with fake news over a known problem that has existed in Ukraine for over 8 years now and it was started by our 44th President, now his VP is protecting it. As best as can be expected.

Jesus you're fucking annoying. Post some links or something to back up all your assertions, otherwise shut up.

India To Buy More Russia Oil, Working On Rupee-Ruble Settlement Mechanism; West "Understands"

https://www.zerohedge.com/mark...ism-west-understands


In the latest sign that western sanctions against Russia are really just that, and exclude much of the non-western world, Delhi announced overnight that it wants to keep its key trading partner on board despite Western attempts to isolate Moscow through sanctions with Reuters reporting that according to two Indian officials, India may take up a Russian offer to buy crude oil and other commodities at a discount.

And while U.S. officials have said in recent weeks they would like India to distance itself from Russia as much as possible, they recognize its heavy reliance on Moscow for everything from arms and ammunitions to missiles and fighter jets. In other words, India quietly gets a carte blanche to continue trading with Russia in violation of western sanctions.

India, which refuses to side with the west in the escalating Ukraine conflict, has not condemned the invasion of Ukraine and abstained from voting at the United Nations calling out Russia's aggression. One person within India's security apparatus told Reuters that "the West understood India's position, given that it needs to keep its armed forces well supplied amid simmering territorial disputes with China. "

In other words, all sanctions are created equal, but some are more equal - and can ignore the sanctions - than others.

India, which imports 80% of its oil needs, usually buys only about 2-3% from Russia. But with oil prices up 40% so far this year, the government is looking at increasing this if it can help reduce its rising energy bill.

"Russia is offering oil and other commodities at a heavy discount. We will be happy to take that," one of the Indian government officials said. The official added that such trade required preparatory work including transportation, insurance cover and getting the right blend of crude, but once that was done India would take Russia up on its offer.

Apart from oil, India is also looking for cheaper fertiliser from Russia and its ally Belarus, according to one of the officials.

Indian officials said they could not suddenly replace Russia with other suppliers, particularly in the defense sector. India's dependence on Russia for its military hardware still runs as high as 60%, despite a significant reduction over the last decade.

U.S. officials have declined to say if India would be sanctioned should Russia send S-400 missile systems as part of a $5.5 billion deal signed in 2018 for five of them (that's because the answer is no, it won't, as the last thing the US wants is to alienate the world's second most populous nation - after all, it has already done that with the first). Initial supplies of the system started late last year despite a U.S. law aimed at deterring countries from buying Russian military hardware.

Ely Ratner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, told a U.S. Congress hearing last week that India was diversifying its defense suppliers.

"We recognise that India has a complicated history and relationship with Russia. The majority of the weapons that they buy are from the Russians," he said.

"The good news is that they are in a multi-year process of diversifying their arms purchases away from Russia - that's going to take some time. But they are clearly committed to doing that, including the indigenisation of their own defence industry and that's something we should support."

British Foreign Minister Liz Truss also said last week that London should pursue closer economic and defense ties with India to help it reduce its reliance on Russia. Since 2011, New Delhi has cut its defence imports from Russia by 53%.

That said, D. Bala Venkatesh Varma, a former Indian ambassador to Russia, said New Delhi should not be expected to pay a price for a standoff between global powers. "This is not a fight we have created," he told an online seminar on Monday.

Separately, Reuters also reported that in order to streamline purchases of Russian goods, Indian officials are working to set up a rupee-rouble mechanism with Russia to continue bilateral trade.

Indian officials are concerned that vital supplies of fertilizer from Russia could be disrupted as sanctions intensify, threatening India's vast farm sector. Officials said the plan was to get Russian banks and companies to open accounts with a few state-run banks in India for trade settlement, a banking source involved in the discussions said.

It was this same type of habit of repeatedly posting unsubstantiated BS gleaned from conspiracy theorists and whatever other out-there sources he frequents that recently got Tirod banned from another prominent gun forum...

I hope he's realizing that the members here on this forum have an even lower tolerance for that.

(It's actually become a meme over there. Now, when someone else wades in with QAnon or other conspiracy BS, folks respond with stuff like "Oh boy, another Tirod thread!" and funny pics to that same effect.)

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
India To Buy More Russia Oil, Working On Rupee-Ruble Settlement Mechanism; West "Understands"

Does it, now?

I've long felt India was no friend of the U.S. Or the West, in general. Maybe it's about time to start shunning India-based call centers, just as I'm shunning Chinesium?

RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:


RogueJSK:

quote:

I've long felt India was no friend of the U.S. Or the West, in general. Maybe it's about time to start shunning India-based call centers, just as I'm shunning Chinesium?

^^^^^^^^^
I am for that.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Does it, now?

I've long felt India was no friend of the U.S. Or the West, in general. Maybe it's about time to start shunning India-based call centers, just as I'm shunning Chinesium?

I would never argue that you shouldn't shun call centers, telemarketers or scammers of any kind.

But India does have an argument: they're at daggers drawn with Red China (which keeps the Red Chinese' assets somewhat tied down), and the government's relationship with farmers has been troubled since at least the last time Trudeau visited India which is potentially a major problem given Indians' sensitivity to food prices and expected shortages of fertilizer components across the board.

Personally I hope they negotiate like bastards with the Russians for fuel and fertilizer components and then don't pay them for a year or two.

quote:

India To Buy More Russia Oil, Working On Rupee-Ruble Settlement Mechanism; West "Understands"

The bigger issue is the effect on the "petro-dollar" of oil trading in something other than the US dollar. The end of the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency would mark the end of our ability to use the rest of the world to finance our deficit spending.
For better, or worse.

^^ Well, maybe. The ruble, the rupee and the yuan are all distinguished by their utter lack of use as a medium for international trade. Even collectively, they've got a long way to go before they really begin to even challenge the dollar.

quote:

It was this same type of habit of repeatedly posting unsubstantiated BS gleaned from conspiracy theorists and whatever other out-there sources

My God, Tirod's rant is almost the same line-for-line BS my Step-mother spouts.
I actually told my wife the other day - "Well the latest theory is the Russians are actually the good guys in this."

I swear this QAnon bullshit is getting old.

India has always straddled the middle, famously during the Cold War they leaned more towards the Soviet Union while Pakistan leaned more towards the US. However, Indian society was more aligned with the Western world versus the Pakistani's Islamic radicals who actually hated both sides. Today, India is surrounded my enemies who would like nothing better than to see them eliminated, not to mention relations with the US has improved dramatically as India is a core member of 'The Quad' facing the threat from China.

Indian purchasing of Russian goods I don't think is going to move the needle much, and Indian political leaders are apt to believe they're more important in global geo-political issues than they really are. If anything, they're a southern bulwark against Chinese aggression and a front that the CCP has to worry about and give attention.

quote:

I actually told my wife the other day - "Well the latest theory is the Russians are actually the good guys in this."

There are no "good guys" in this.
The Ukrainian people have been getting screwed by their own corrupt government for a long time. The corruption has had partners in the US, mostly Democrats.

quote:

Obama's corrupt payback scheme, Hunters crack pipe supply, the arms trafficking into the Middle East, the human trafficking all the way to America, and the pay for play oil pipeline board positions that Biden, Pelosi, Kerry and Romney sons all have hauling down hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. BTW, Hunter invested in a company called Rosemont, do you know Rosemont invested in the bio labs Obama has been financing since 2005?

The MSM did all they could to ignore the corruption and bury the stories prior to the election in 2020. If they weren't complicit, Biden couldn't have even stolen enough votes.

That doesn't justify Putin's actions. He's not a "good guy" either. Trump understood this. Trump was attempting to uncover and expose the corruption. Putin respected Trump and would not have invaded.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

India To Buy More Russia Oil, Working On Rupee-Ruble Settlement Mechanism; West "Understands"

The bigger issue is the effect on the "petro-dollar" of oil trading in something other than the US dollar. The end of the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency would mark the end of our ability to use the rest of the world to finance our deficit spending.

^^Bingo. And ultimately, I believe that is the goal both Russia and China are feverishly working toward. When the US dollar is no longer the world's exchange currency, we slip immediately to third world status given our debt and deficit.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
^^ Well, maybe. The ruble, the rupee and the yuan are all distinguished by their utter lack of use as a medium for international trade. Even collectively, they've got a long way to go before they really begin to even challenge the dollar.

'They' nothing. It's 'We' who are killing the dollar and forcing that change. China, Russia, and others can sit back and simply watch the self-inflicted disaster unfold. And by 'We' I mean the lying anti-American grifters and filth in Washington screwing all of us daily. They are more the enemy than the Chinese and Russians.

Today is National equal pay day, and Potatus is dealing with that and signing bills about Podiatry at the VA, then he’s going for Ice Cream, and he’s speaking to the National League of Cities. Jake Sullivan talking to China, but that’s it at Whitehouse.gov. That little Ukraine thing nothing big on the press release page.

This sums up where we are...

The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are traveling on Tuesday to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital which is currently under fire, on a European Union mission to show support for Ukraine as Russia’s invasion intensifies.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet: “The aim of the visit is to express the European Union’s unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence.”

He will be joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Polish the deputy prime minister for security but also the conservative ruling party leader.

Russia’s offensive in Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday, with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighborhood in the capital as the two countries planned a second day of talks.

We have to wonder how they’re going to manage the security of these leaders as they travel into the midst of what can only be described as a war zone. The Russians have been shelling civilian apartment buildings and even a maternity hospital in recent days. While some of that may be intentional, other strikes have been viewed by analysts as simple cases of incompetence on the part of the Russian army. It’s unclear if they could avoid hitting the diplomatic emissaries if they wanted to.

https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2...ks-intensify-n455334

I guess Kamala will sit this one out.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
I guess Kamala will sit this one out.

Perhaps that’s why they decided to travel into a war zone. Consider the alternative.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:

We have to wonder how they’re going to manage the security of these leaders as they travel into the midst of what can only be described as a war zone.

...

I guess Kamala will sit this one out.

They won't manage it. They'll hope that Putin doesn't want to quadruple-down by killing three heads of state.

Maybe I'm naive and it's all orchestrated theater. Or, those three have balls that clang when they walk.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

I've long felt India was no friend of the U.S. Or the West, in general. Maybe it's about time to start shunning India-based call centers, just as I'm shunning Chinesium?

^^^^^^^^^
I am for that.

The companies that use those India-based call centers already know those call-centers are not popular with Americans.

They use them anyway because they are so cost-effective.

I'm all for avoiding avoiding Indian call-centers but think it will be tough to achieve.

quote:

The companies that use those India-based call centers already know those call-centers are not popular with Americans.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
They lose business because of it. That is not cost effective. Companies need to look at the WHOLE picture. I will go with Canadians, rural Americans and the Phillipines. Most all of those folks are polite. Script reading has got to go as well.