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  #6901  
Old 10.06.2022, 17:09
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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It's crazy how much his face has changed in just a few months, it's really bloated now.

This is Putin just before the invasion, on Feb 21.

This is Putin at xmas, on Dec 23 last year. After about 1min into the clip he has his chin up, the same pose he has in the Feb clip above, so no double-chin and the same thin neck.
Prednison, maybe. I repost a good piece that summarized the speculations about his state of health. It links nicely the behavioral aspects like keeping maximum distance and the physical like the swollen face. Speculation of course, but very interesting: https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/is...o-think-he-is/

From there:

Ashley Grossman, a professor of endocrinology at Oxford University, told New Lines, “Putin has always been a very fit-looking man with a slightly gaunt appearance. But over the last couple of years, he seems to have filled out in the face and neck. Cushingoid appearance, it’s called, and it’s compatible with steroid use.”

Steroids, Grossman said, are typically prescribed for various kinds of lymphoma or myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells, which “can cause widespread bone disease and definitely affect the spinal column and back.”

Lymphoma is typically a more aggressive type of blood cancer, requiring heavy-duty chemotherapy that leads to hair loss, something Putin is not known to have ever experienced. Other lymphomas are lower grade, may not require chemotherapy and are less likely to afflict the bones.

Myeloma, even the more aggressive forms of it, doesn’t necessarily require chemotherapy at all anymore. It can often be treated with immnuno-modulatory agents and steroids, neither of which precipitate hair loss. Myeloma can, however, lead to compression fractures of the spine, which make a patient hunched (see again that abnormal vignette with Shoigu) or even shave inches off height.

Steroids – a common one is prednisone – attack malignant lymphocytes that circulate in the blood, but they are also known for two common side effects.

The first is a high risk of infection owing to how badly they deplete immune cells. “Anyone on heavy doses of steroids will find it much easier to contract COVID-19,” Grossman said, which might account for Putin’s extreme germophobia and recourse to Howard Hughes-like seclusion. Pneumonia, too, can easily kill an immunocompromised steroid user.

And the second side effect?

“Deeply irrational or paranoid behavior.”
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  #6902  
Old 10.06.2022, 19:18
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Prednison, maybe. I repost a good piece that summarized the speculations about his state of health. It links nicely the behavioral aspects like keeping maximum distance and the physical like the swollen face. Speculation of course, but very interesting: https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/is...o-think-he-is/
The problem I have with these speculative articles is that everybody seems to copy everybody else, often apparently without the slightest due diligence, out of pure FOMO. Though I welcome articles where actual experts get to voice their position.

Remember "OMG!!! This is GENOCIDE!!!" in the weeks after the invasion?
Those articles wouldn't have died off within days or weeks if it was something substantive, more than pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait.

We may well see the same here. Non olet.
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  #6903  
Old 10.06.2022, 19:39
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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The problem I have with these speculative articles is that everybody seems to copy everybody else, often apparently without the slightest due diligence, out of pure FOMO. Though I welcome articles where actual experts get to voice their position.

Remember "OMG!!! This is GENOCIDE!!!" in the weeks after the invasion?
Those articles wouldn't have died off within days or weeks if it was something substantive, more than pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait.

We may well see the same here. Non olet.
Feel free to ignore them then.
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  #6904  
Old 11.06.2022, 00:56
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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You mean those guys with Ukrainian and British citizenship who were there before Putin's paranoid invasion?
What did they exactly do there before?

Tourism?

Garlic crop farming?
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  #6905  
Old 11.06.2022, 05:59
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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The problem I have with these speculative articles is that everybody seems to copy everybody else, often apparently without the slightest due diligence, out of pure FOMO. Though I welcome articles where actual experts get to voice their position.

Remember "OMG!!! This is GENOCIDE!!!" in the weeks after the invasion?
Those articles wouldn't have died off within days or weeks if it was something substantive, more than pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait.

We may well see the same here. Non olet.
OMG, what a load of BS here, yes it is genocide and it will be judged later as it didn't die anything, Nato is just coward as they should have intervened if Putin and the rest of his gang didn't threat with nuclear weapons. This is what you get when you let the crazies have nuclear arsenal. This is why countries like Iran, Irak etc will never have nuclear bombs.
Let the hate come now.....
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  #6906  
Old 11.06.2022, 06:00
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Remember "OMG!!! This is GENOCIDE!!!" in the weeks after the invasion?
Those articles wouldn't have died off within days or weeks if it was something substantive, more than pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait.
Btw, it doesn't look like "pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait" anymore, unfortunately.

Quote:
Russia has incited genocide in Ukraine, independent experts conclude
Quote:
Their analysis pointed to a genocidal pattern of Russian forces’ targeting of Ukrainian civilians, including evidence of mass executions and torture of civilians in areas that were occupied by Russian forces, such as the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, as well as deliberate attacks on shelters, evacuation routes and humanitarian corridors; sieges of Ukrainian cities; and indiscriminate bombing of residential areas. The report also cited sexual violence and reports of the forcible deportation of Ukrainians to Russia.
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  #6907  
Old 11.06.2022, 06:02
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

Gaburko, I am glad you are calmer, I can't deal with this Urs Max's trolling very well lately. Time to add him again on my ignore list, he can be as manipulative and disingenuous as much as he likes now.

Last edited by greenmount; 11.06.2022 at 06:40.
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  #6908  
Old 11.06.2022, 08:34
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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What did they exactly do there before?

Tourism?

Garlic crop farming?
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Aslin (28), a former care worker from Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, has dual British and Ukrainian citizenship, and his fiancée is Ukrainian. Pinner, a former British Army soldier from Bedfordshire, moved to Ukraine four years ago and his wife is Ukrainian.

They had both sworn an oath in 2018 to defend the country, making them legitimate soldiers in Ukraine’s armed forces.
Not mercenaries.
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  #6909  
Old 11.06.2022, 08:36
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Not mercenaries.
Russia is starting to employ more and more "tactics" from the Iranian playbook. Hostage diplomacy is just one of them. I am ready to bet that they won't be executed, but will somehow be used as leverage against the west.
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  #6910  
Old 11.06.2022, 08:43
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

To me, the most shocking thing the Russians appear to do is the mass deportation of Ukrainians. No idea how the numbers are derived, but allegedly it is 1.5m people now, including 200.000 children. This is a method of genocide.
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  #6911  
Old 11.06.2022, 10:04
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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To me, the most shocking thing the Russians appear to do is the mass deportation of Ukrainians. No idea how the numbers are derived, but allegedly it is 1.5m people now, including 200.000 children. This is a method of genocide.
Well, putin believes he's Peter the Great . The irony in this comparison is that indeed Peter was a brutal conqueror, but at the same time he brought Russia much closer to the west and he was an energetic supporter of modernizing it.

Btw, the comparison with Peter the Great is no mere coincidence. Peter fought the Swedes and won the territory that is now Ukraine from them in the Battle of Poltava. It's again "we, the Russians" against the "invading west".
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  #6912  
Old 11.06.2022, 10:17
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Well, putin believes he's Peter the Great . The irony in this comparison is that indeed Peter was a brutal conqueror, but at the same time he brought Russia much closer to the west and he was an energetic supporter of modernizing it.

Btw, the comparison with Peter the Great is no mere coincidence. Peter fought the Swedes and won the territory that is now Ukraine from them in the Battle of Poltava. It's again "we, the Russians" against the "invading west".
Not sure what that has to do with my post, but yes. At least this should take the last bit of credibility out of the "NATO expansion caused this" bullshit.
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  #6913  
Old 11.06.2022, 10:19
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Not sure what that has to do with my post, but yes. At least this should take the last bit of credibility out of the "NATO expansion caused this" bullshit.
As usual, I hit quote instead of reply, apologies for bringing you into this
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  #6914  
Old 11.06.2022, 13:09
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

Btw, it looks like the Ukrainians have received and making good use of the longer-range artillery
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  #6915  
Old 11.06.2022, 14:58
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Btw, it looks like the Ukrainians have received and making good use of the longer-range artillery
Agree. Not just long range but also very accurate, Russia also has long range artillery but at extreme range most of their artillery only has an accuracy of + 0.5Km. Russia has newer highly accurate Koalitsiya-SV but it is not known how many and if they are deployed in Ukraine; presumably they are high cost.

Reports are that both sides are running short of artillery ammunition. Some claims are that while the Russians have huge stocks these are now very old and unreliable in use.
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  #6916  
Old 11.06.2022, 18:34
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

Macron starts talking about how "Ukraine must win" and even suggests that France would participate in an "operation" to break the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports ...

Maybe Putin's speech on Peter the Great was another stupid move that makes even Macron realize how bad it is.

Not sure though what this "operation" would be. Sounds like it would have to be a NATO misson
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  #6917  
Old 11.06.2022, 18:37
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Btw, it looks like the Ukrainians have received and making good use of the longer-range artillery
There was an interesting point made by Gen Hertling who said it is just as much about training as it is about supply. Apparently the tubes of the delivered howitzers have to be exchanged after firing 2000 rounds, and it was not clear the Ukrainians have the spares and the know-how.
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  #6918  
Old 11.06.2022, 18:52
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Macron starts talking about how "Ukraine must win" and even suggests that France would participate in an "operation" to break the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports ...

Maybe Putin's speech on Peter the Great was another stupid move that makes even Macron realize how bad it is.

Not sure though what this "operation" would be. Sounds like it would have to be a NATO misson
Indeed, interesting development. I also wonder whether this was Blinken giving him a call to politely tell him to stop playing a game he couldn't play or it was something else?

From the Reuters article it seems something is indeed in the making, but France seems to be following rather than taking the lead. Which is a good thing

Quote:
"We're at the disposal of the parties so that an operation can be set up which would allow access to the port of Odesa in complete safety,"
Of course, this could also be simply due to the fact that the elections are tomorrow and he's trying to shore up support from every possible angle
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  #6919  
Old 11.06.2022, 19:10
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

It shouldn't have to be pointed out that there's a difference between a rational analysis based on (at least more or less) reliable data by experts on the one hand, and an immediate emotional outcry based on a single unverified and potentially fake event that's been emotionalised with pictures of a pregnant woman peddled by clickbaiting MSM on the other.
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  #6920  
Old 11.06.2022, 20:18
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Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?

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Well, putin believes he's Peter the Great . The irony in this comparison is that indeed Peter was a brutal conqueror, but at the same time he brought Russia much closer to the west and he was an energetic supporter of modernizing it.

Btw, the comparison with Peter the Great is no mere coincidence. Peter fought the Swedes and won the territory that is now Ukraine from them in the Battle of Poltava. It's again "we, the Russians" against the "invading west".
He can admire whomever he wants (preferably in the comfort of his home), it's his prerogative. But to act upon some three hundred years old idea(l)s is unacceptable.

What I find disturbing is that he's expressing certain views while talking with young people...it's like he's trying to form the next generation of Putinistas, to carry on his "work"..
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