In recent weeks, this forum quoted several experts who believe Ukraine is doomed, and Russia is winning before our very eyes.
All these experts struck me as lightweights but I don’t like quibbling, and prefer not to quibble with the distinguished host.
One of these pundits is a retired colonel, Macgregor, I think. Shouldn’t we be able to assume he knows what he’s talking about?
Two problems. Last week General Milley held a press conference and announced, “Russia has lost ‘strategically, operationally and tactically.” Well, doesn’t that settle that?
The other problem is more subtle. It seems to me that all the positive comments on Macgregor’s last post are remarkably uniform, what the opera world calls flackery. E.g., “How refreshing to hear someone talking truth and not the common BS that’s all over the mainstream news. Good interview & talk!”
It’s almost as if there’s a massive agitprop campaign to convince us that Russia is winning.
So far I’m not convinced. And the more ominous question for me is what’s left of Russia at this point, win or pyrrhic victory?
I suggest that Peter Zeihan is a more informative expert than the ones you have. Anyway he’s more interesting. Or just look at combat videos that surface daily. Or find a complete list of Russian losses so far, military equipment and personnel. They knew the first week that they had miscalculated, but they weren’t able to find a graceful exit.
The main thing I’ve learned from this war is that every country’s first duty is not to have a psycho dictator, like Putin. That’s what Communism is really all about, operationally speaking, finagling some lunatic to the top. Turned out Putin was so nuts he did not know how corrupt his army was, or how well-prepared Ukraine was. Imagine that — the head of the KGB doesn’t know diddly. That’s actually funny if you don’t live in Russia.
NB: my special focus is K-12 education and why it’s gotten so bad. The Education Establishment aims very low. Traditional notions of scholarship, research, precision, and truth are mangled, as we see in war reporting. Biden lies every day as does the New York Times. I’m worried that the educational system in general is now so enfeebled, we might not recover all the ground we have lost. Education connoisseurs may enjoy my podcast Let’s Fix Education.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
RE: “It’s almost as if there’s a massive agitprop campaign to convince us that Russia is winning.”
Well, there may be such a campaign. I would suggest, though, that our own government and media are also guilty of manufacturing consent where the war in Ukraine is concerned.
Figuring out the battlefield truth in Ukraine is difficult. Russia doesn’t document its own losses as a rule, and Ukraine lies about everything. The fog of war is so thick that you can’t believe anything anyone says, because you can’t prove they are right or wrong.
For example: Gen. Milley said, as you note, “Russia has lost ‘strategically, operationally and tactically,” but the RAND Corporation says the exact opposite:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/what-russia-got-wrong-moscow-failures-in-ukraine-dara-massicot
Who are we to believe, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the world’s most prestigious military think tank?
I think it helps to acknowledge the basic military math of the war in Ukraine. Russia has three times the population of Ukraine and a defense production industry fully mobilized to support its operations on the battlefield. In contrast, the U.S./NATO is straining to supply the Ukrainian army with weapons and ammunition while hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are removed (killed, wounded) from combat every single day.
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“Russia has three times the population of Ukraine and a defense production industry fully mobilized to support its operations on the battlefield.”
Vietnam and Afghanistan are but two examples of the greatest militaries failing to subdue weaker nations. Hitler tried to conquer Russia with a far superior army. Political and national will count for a lot more than you think. Ukraine won’t be conquered. At best (or worst) it will be occupied until body bags become too much for even a Putinesque regime to excuse for it citizens. Then comes revolution for a decade or more, more bodies.
Then expulsion of forces and a “Fourth of July” independence until the next autocrat wakes up stupid.
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RE: “Ukraine won’t be conquered. At best (or worst) it will be occupied until body bags become too much for even a Putinesque regime to excuse for it citizens.”
That sounds like wishful thinking to me.
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“The fog of war is so thick that you can’t believe anything anyone says, because you can’t prove they are right or wrong.”
Then why it is you continually claim that Russian propaganda is the only legitimate facts?
“Who are we to believe, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the world’s most prestigious military think tank?”
I’ll take Milley. He has no agenda, unlike Rand.
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RE: “Then why it is you continually claim that Russian propaganda is the only legitimate facts?”
What Russian propaganda are you referring to?
RE: “I’ll take Milley. He has no agenda, unlike Rand.”
You do realize that Rand is funded by the DoD?
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“What Russian propaganda are you referring to?”
Any and all posts referring to MacGregor.
“You do realize that Rand is funded by the DoD?”
So what?
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RE: “Any and all posts referring to MacGregor.”
So, in your world a decorated American war hero is a Russian propagandist.
RE: “So what?”
Rand’s “agenda” is Milley’s agenda.
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…” in your world a decorated American war hero is a Russian propagandist.”
Yes. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. He is. And BDP’s post indicates that he believes it too. “It seems to me that all the positive comments on Macgregor’s last post are remarkably uniform, what the opera world calls flackery.
“You do realize that Rand is funded by the DoD?”
Also funded by …”private endowment, corporations, universities and private individuals.”
So you assertion concerning agendas is inaccurate.
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RE: “Yes. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. He is [a Russian propagandist].”
Now that you have confirmed your opinion, there is nothing more to be said.
RE: “So you assertion concerning agendas is inaccurate.”
My assertion is that Rand is an advisor to the DOD. You can, of course, have any opinion about that you want. But opinions ain’t worth much.
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“Now that you have confirmed your opinion, there is nothing more to be said.”
You asked me a question and I answered it truthfully. You continue to deny he is anything except the second coming of the greatest military minds of history. I say he is a Putin shill.
“My assertion is that Rand is an advisor to the DOD”
Advisors are a dime a dozen. When the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff makes a statement, I tend to believe it before anything some “advisor” who is PAID by private endowments, corporations, universities and private individuals who DO have agendas.
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Point of order. Based on Mr. Roberts’ “take” on a post from Ms. Radford and forum rules, isn’t Mr. Price’s closing statement concerning his own podcast a violation of the forum rules?
Asking for a friend.
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Test
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