"The 1980's are calling to ask for their foreign policy back."

Discussion in 'The Red Room' started by Steal Your Face, Jan 8, 2022.

  1. Ten Lubak

    Ten Lubak Salty Dog

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  2. Order2Chaos

    Order2Chaos Ultimate... Immortal Administrator

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    That's big. Tactically, it's kinda shocking that this would be shared so widely (that Ukraine captured it, not that they're giving it to the US. That seems expected). It's a strange info-strategic situation indeed (and has been since before Russia invaded), where tactics are so thoroughly giving way to such a completely different strategy vs the past -- that is, unheard-of transparency -- in order to try to convince Russia to pack up and leave. This unit in Ukrainian hands (probably after some American analysis) could have given Ukraine a large (if temporary) tactical advantage if Russia thought it was destroyed instead of captured. They might have been able to taken out every SAM truck and site within 200 miles of Kyiv from the air before the Russians figured out what was going on. But this disclosure pushes the strategy better. Soon the US will figure out how to harden its tech, and Ukraine may not be far behind. Russia's military situation becomes more hopeless, and the pressure increases to withdraw.

    I wonder what circumstances would have led to a different info strategy, or if this was inevitable from the structure of the belligerents and their supporters. I tend to think it's not inevitable, because the Vietnam War didn't go that way (the USSR was not reporting on captured US equipment), but maybe the structures aren't quite as analogous as I think they are at first glance. I don't remember if there was any of this when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, but I don't think we were publicizing our role in that quite as much, and it might be even more analogous. On the other hand, we wanted the Soviets in, not out, in order to bankrupt them. This time we want the Russians out, and are willing to bankrupt them if that's what it takes, but it's not the goal. I'm rambling a bit, but you see what I'm getting at, I think.
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  3. Tererune

    Tererune Troll princess and Magical Girl

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    It makes a lot of sense strategically and psychologically given what has happened. The idea that russian tech could fail to kill off the world in a final strike needs to be put into putin's mind if there is any hope that he will back off and chose a defensive loss. I think the way russia has been outmatched in modern use of tech will make captures like this more prominent in his mind. He seems paranoid, and that will contribute to ideas that his tech will be overcome by spies and tech leaks.

    It is just my thought that if he does not think he can destroy the world so no one can have it, that sort of personality will look to other means of survival so that he might one day recover and ruin his opponents. Of course, this does rely on a lot of stuff we do not know.,
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  4. tafkats

    tafkats scream not working because space make deaf Moderator

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    I wonder if it's an acknowledgement of the media and communications environment ... being pretty sure that, if a piece of equipment that big is captured in the current situation, it's inevitable that civilians will see it and take and share pictures, so since it's no longer possible to gain a tactical advantage by making the Kremlin think it was destroyed, they might as well lean into the situation and get some psychological advantages.
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  5. We Are Borg

    We Are Borg Republican Democrat

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  6. Forbin

    Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

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    I hate to agree with Steve, but I have a great internet connection, I'm on a PC, and half of the tweets either take forever, or never even load. Must be hell on a phone.
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  7. Tuckerfan

    Tuckerfan BMF

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  8. Rincewiend

    Rincewiend 21st Century Digital Boy

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    Busy day in Brussels...

    https://www.politico.eu/article/live-blog-nato-g7-eu-summit-euco-war-ukraine-russia-biden/
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  9. spot261

    spot261 I don't want the game to end

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    It seems a lot of the traditional "rules" of espionage (and warfare more broadly) have likely been under serious review I the social media age.
  10. spot261

    spot261 I don't want the game to end

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    He still looks remarkably human shaped.
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  11. Steal Your Face

    Steal Your Face Anti-Federalist

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    That rhymed.
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  12. 14thDoctor

    14thDoctor Oi

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    :wtf:

    It really doesn't.
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  13. Uncle Albert

    Uncle Albert Part beard. Part machine.

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    Domestic manufacturing doesn't necessitate debt-driven, instant-gratification consumerism. More of those jobs might even help people live within their means.
  14. Chaos Descending

    Chaos Descending 14th Level Human Cleric

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    Err, it's pronounced "true-DOE" not "true-DOO".
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  15. Fisherman's Worf

    Fisherman's Worf I am the Seaman, I am the Walrus, Qu-Qu-Qapla'!

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    I raised this last week too. If you go to your preferences and change Posts Per Page to 20 or 30, it helps substantially. You'll have to click next page more often, but I'd rather do that than waiting for an extra 20-30 posts to load.
  16. steve2^4

    steve2^4 Aged Meat

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    On the PC you can block downloads from Twitter. I did it months ago and don't miss them. The text that is pasted in a post is enough to decide to click through to Twitter.

    On phones you have to download 3rd party shit to block them. I haven't done that.

    Yes on a competent phone and fast connection they are annoyingly slow. The problem is Twitter's servers.

    Then there's the inane content. Most of the tweets about the war are propaganda. I wish y'all could stop.
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  17. Demiurge

    Demiurge Goodbye and Hello, as always.

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    Zelensky and his inner circle have known this was coming for several years.

    Interview with President Zelensky's advisor Oleksiy Arestovych on 18th March 2019. Arestovych is both an actor friend of Zelensky and a former Major in Ukraine military's intelligence unit.

    Last edited: Mar 24, 2022
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  18. Demiurge

    Demiurge Goodbye and Hello, as always.

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    If the board could handle a decent seized gif it would be a lot easier.

    The board can't, so here we are.
  19. matthunter

    matthunter Ice Bear

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    Isn't a seized GIF just a JPG?
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  20. matthunter

    matthunter Ice Bear

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    UA is triggered by image formats?!

    I hadn't meant to start a TIFF with him.
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  21. Steal Your Face

    Steal Your Face Anti-Federalist

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    AA6FDF1D-D907-43A8-B8C9-A4E01484E0D0.gif
  22. Uncle Albert

    Uncle Albert Part beard. Part machine.

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    :wtf:
    Who says I'm triggered? Did I use a worship word somewhere?
  23. matthunter

    matthunter Ice Bear

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    No.

    You're in deep doodeau.
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  24. Steal Your Face

    Steal Your Face Anti-Federalist

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    Sorry, didn’t see you there on the sidewalk.
  25. steve2^4

    steve2^4 Aged Meat

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    WTF are you talking about, dentist?
  26. matthunter

    matthunter Ice Bear

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    Doubtless distracted checking your Mom wasn't getting into a john's car.
  27. Order2Chaos

    Order2Chaos Ultimate... Immortal Administrator

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    Just link it, don't try to attach it.
  28. matthunter

    matthunter Ice Bear

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    Worst Gary Coleman impression ever.
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  29. Ancalagon

    Ancalagon Scalawag Administrator Formerly Important

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  30. Tuckerfan

    Tuckerfan BMF

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