[Rat Creek]

I am against the level of funding we are providing as it is exponentially higher than any of the eurotrash neighbors and without question, much is being siphoned off. Ukraine was a corrupt country before the war, and now is awash in money and arms.

While I'd like to see Ukraine rebuff Putin, it looks like Russia is slowly winning as Putin is not concerned about body counts, and America getting out of the energy business has given Putin all the money he needs for a long protracted war.

Just as Hussein predicted, Creepy Joe fudged this up as well with his weak rhetoric, dementia state and then limiting what weapons Ukraine could buy with the cash we gave them.

Next up..... Taiwan. But at least there are no mean tweets, so there is that.

 

[Rat Creek]

Well, at least they have "free" healthcare. The entire planet (America included) will be paying the heavy price for the idiots they voted into power, and for the idiotic green farce that has been building for twenty years.

And sadly, most useful idiots will keep voting for the same people to fix the disasters of their making. I work with a lot of woke, white, useful idiots, and very few put any of America's issues at the feet of Creepy Joe. Most blame the boogyman... Putin.

 

[Rat Creek]

Read where China is selling Russian oil, so Russia should be flush with cash.

Whenever I hear about these fake tough guy positions, even dementia Creepy Joe knows it is nothing but a shell game. Oil and Gas are no different than currency, except there is no exchange rate. Ship to China or Iran, then to the world market. This is kindergarten level stuff and its only purpose is to please the useful idiots and virtue signalers.

 

[Rat Creek]

Russia produces about 10 million barrels per day 😲 Sounds massive. Crude oil is about $90 per barrel.

So that's a revenue of about $330 billion per year.

But that's just revenue. It costs them over $40 per barrel to produce.

Yup. And if America was still a net exporter, and oil and gas were at historic lows, Putin would have a much tougher time going to war against anyone. The blame for this war is with Putin, and Creepy Joe who enabled it.

 

[Rat Creek]

Russia would not need to do it unless it is a false flag. Putin can simply shut off the pipeline on their end which they may likely do anyway. Once they have their captive customers (Germany and others), Putin will have all of the leverage. A couple of months of freezing in their homes and the Euros will gladly call for Russia's annexing of 1/3 of the Ukraine.

 

[Rat Creek]

These are troubling times. Putin is a cold blooded murderer who takes out political rivals and even friends for disagreements, so I do not see him caring a bit about how many young men he sends off to die. And no, they will not be well trained. They will be cannon fodder. I am 100% certain Putin thought what we all thought; that the Russian military was absolute topnotch (and they are not) and that Ukraine would be a weekend adventure. That miscalculation has painted him into a corner. He has no easy way out now, so is particularly dangerous.

The entire mess lies at the feet of Creepy Joe putting the US out of the energy business and skyrocketing the price of oil (Putin's gold and leverage), and the idiot Euros who got into bed with Putin for their energy. Even without hindsight, it seemed like a really stupid thing to do.

Don't they just need more windmills?

 

[Rat Creek]

I really think he will be removed from office the same way Kruschev was. This sadly will not mean a more reasonable ruler will take his place.

We can hope, and agree it does not mean the replacement dictator will be any better. That being said, I do not remember what happened with Kruschev other than he rather suddenly resigned for so called health reasons but did not die for a long time. I do not see Putin resigning because he or his family have been threatened.

Given the situation, I anticipate Putin's paranoia and private security are at the highest level of alert for espionage, so it might be very difficult to convince him to go away as he will see that as a death sentence.

 

[Rat Creek]

Sure seems like a money laundering operation for the swamp, as no one else in the world is showering the corrupt nation with billions and billions of dollars. All of it made possible by Creepy Joe putting the US out of the oil business and spiking the price of oil for Putin to put the war machine into action.

 

[Rat Creek]

Actually I could give a flying fornicate about Ukraine anymore.

Actually, few care about Ukraine. It was only a temporary opportunity for useful idiots to virtue signal, and boy did they. I live in a very purple area and all of the virtue signs about Ukraine are gone. Thankfully, most of the stupid - We believe signs are gone as well.

They have been replaced with the new virtue signal signs that say something like - People in this neighborhood care about each other. Or some such empty statement.

Reminds me of the saying - If you live it, you don't have to tell it.

 

[Rat Creek]

Granted disarming Ukraine was probably a horrible idea, but I think there are two parallel things happening at the same time. (1) Stupid as it may have been, America did agree to defend Ukraine, and (2) Democrats and RINOs see this stupid commitment as a great money laundering opportunity and a way to support the military industrial complex that supports the swamp democrats and rinos.

And all could have been avoided had Biden not declared war on American energy and driven the price of oil through the roof. Crude oil was $35 a barrel when Creepy Joe executed the steal. He drove it to $115 and even with begging and emptying the strategic national reserves, it is trading at over $80. THAT is what financed Putin's move.

 

[Rat Creek]

It wasn't financing that made him feel secure in moving on the whole of Ukraine nor his original grab of Crimea during the Obama/Biden administration. It was expectations regarding the response of the U.S. in particular and to a lesser extend the rest of Europe.

I do not disagree that weak leaders create horrible situations. Creepy Joe's nod to the environuts simply made it far more feasible for Putin to pay the very expensive bills of war. Creepy Joe tripled and quadrupled the price AND allowed Putin to grow his volume by abandoning Trump's vision of being a major exporter to Europe.