Everyone should be afraid of Russia’s nukes. Putin made it clear he’d use them if anyone interfered. That’s really what this comes down to, what is the line that is crossed that will get the US to use their nukes. The west won’t strike first. Not with this administration and probably not in any other. I’m not saying I think this is a bad thing, just acknowledging the reality of our world. And no other Western power save israel would do something without the US going along. Mutually assured destruction is an effective deterrent.

I’m not willing to test Putin, and soon Xi, on if they’re bluffing. The real problem is what happens when 3rd world powers with armies act up?  What if Iran invades Iraq? What if Venezuela gobbles up Colombia? What if North Korea heads south? What if these powers all align with Chinese and Russian protection?

Point being this just tossed a grenade into the international order. WW3 is very much a possibility.  So before people get caught up in partisan bickering and focusing on “what special group gets to play biggest victim in a first would nation today?”, we should be careful before latching onto whatever side our political group tells us to take here and hold them accountable for doing the right thing.

I’m hoping this is a one off, the west will shake its fist and stomp its feet before going to the new normal event. But with Europe an insignificant military deterrent and dependent on eastern oil and gas to function, the US can’t be sucked into a global war. I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t have faith in the American people to make the sacrifices necessary to win a Third World War.

I don't think we can do anything.  It's not as if Putin wasn't aware that he'd be sanctioned by the West for his actions.  The UN is a complete farce and neither Russia or China will allow anything to come from it.  Our nations are unable to stop its citizens from closing down major entry points, rioting in the streets, and a never ending flow of illegal migrants crossing their borders.  Russia and China don't have these problems.  Russia just reminded the world that the only thing that matters is your force projection capabilities and whether your leadership has the ability to enforce that.  Not that I think American soldiers should be fighting and dying for Ukraine, I don't.  But it's not even an option.  You can't ignore the types of leaders in power when Russia has pulled this shit, and there is a price to pay for electing leaders who are incredibly weak on foreign policy.

The west won't survive WW3 as they currently stand and exist.  Far too soft and weak.  The new international standard is the good guys will just yell and stammer if hostile autocracies grab land.  I fully expect China to quit fucking around with Taipei and grab it soon.  I read an article on CNN yesterday blabbing on about what an amazing opportunity this is for Europe to end its dependence on fossil fuels and launch a bunch of solar and wind farms - that's what far left ideologies have to contribute to the debate.  But Germany gets 50% of is energy from Russia, so I don't know how long they play along with sanctions. 

The question is do western powers make their own citizens suffer the economic consequences?  In America our President has shut down a key pipeline driving energy prices up as well as hampered refinery and further drilling. That's the disconnect - Russia is doing things to improve its power while the US and its allies do things that objectively weaken itself.  And in our hyper partisan climate, each side will camp out and refuse to leave the opposing view.  In short, I think we're fucked.  China is running bonafide concentration camps, Russia is grabbing land to reform the Soviet Union, and the US is arguing about whether a man can swim in women's college swimming as a human rights issue.  That's a pretty big disconnect and focus.

This is how fascism will return to the west.  When liberal democracies prove too weak to standup to the militaries of autocracies,, and the quality of life and cost of living become too much for the average citizen that keeps their nation running, they won't wait long to vote someone in power that will do the things necessary to take care of the average person and not the special interests that have dominated western thought the past 3 decades.

Cause releasing songs as “new” that were written 23 years ago seems to be the new MO?

https://www.foxnews.com/us/louisiana-cy … ads-guilty

This is the most vile story I’ve ever read

I know the media and the usual suspects will completely ignore the story, but this Durham probe is getting interesting.