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Aug 12
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Mike Hampton's avatar

You can have an opinion, and importantly debate it, but you cannot be disrespectful.

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Andy Dean's avatar

>The attack would need to reach a city to be an effective dampener on the belief in the righteousness of Mother Russia.

The logic eludes me. It's a sure way to produce many more pissed Russians who are already displaying rising figures of volunteers. But a dampener? When Ukrainian captives reveal orders to shoot any "problematic" civilians and roads are lined with burnt out cars? God forbid it from reaching any city because then Ukraine won't be enough, something the size of a Baltic country has to burn in retaliation.

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joe sarnak's avatar

This author may very well be the worst of the propagandists, rivaling The NYT and Was. Post

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Hello, new commentators.

Andy, Russia's history shows it has determination and will fight, the might of that incomprehensible to most Westerners. But nuance exists for all. There is a difference between villages most have never heard of being invaded, versus St Petersburg. Public reaction would be as nuanced e.g. one could be motivated to fight whilst hating that the war began (no matter that the USA and Ukrainian oligarchs started it).

Joe, with this and your other comment you're being nasty without context. If you're not a troll, look further to get a better view of my position (and anti-propaganda stance) e.g., https://www.mikehampton.co.uk/p/03-putin-isnt-the-only-monster-in

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Mark Taylor's avatar

"War, simply, is terrible."

But, oh, the money to be made.

Such an obscenity.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

That is the biggest truth.

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Darkstar's avatar

It appears the midget needed a win to keep the coke money coming. He had satellite aid from.the west to find where the defensive lines were the weakest. Maybe some inside help too.

Clearly this was done to provoke a nuclear war.

Nice movie clip at the end as well.

Thanks Mike.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

The USA probably involved again. Not necessarily provoking nuclear war, but certainly meant to provoke. Pity the poor citizen soldiers who have to die for it.

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Angelina's avatar

In all fairness, it's impossible to keep such a long border fortified same as the front, and Ukraine is known for its skilled saboteurs since WW2. It took until the mid-1950s to eradicate them in the Western Ukraine, where they knifed to death the entire villages. Khrushchev released them in the 1960s as "political prisoners."

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Thanks for the fair comment. European countries cannot comprehend the length of the current border between Russia and Ukraine. The USA, with all its technology, cops and soldiers, let’s hundreds of thousands of people through its border with Mexico.

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Angelina's avatar

Mike, did you watch the 1990 comedy, "Window to Paris?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gbkjyqLwWA

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Mike Hampton's avatar

I did not, but currently do not have data to stream movies, but am an avid movie watcher, so have bookmarked it for when my bundle renews. Ta.

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Angelina's avatar

There is no access to YouTube?

It's a charming movie, very the 1990s period, with an twist.

Thanks for the link to "Master & Margarita." Bulgakov was born in Kyiv, but it didn't save him from the ukro-wrath: his bronze statue was destroyed, his house-museum was demolished, and suddenly, the ukro-vandals realized that they forgot that his bronze commemorative plague was still on the wall of the University of Kyiv, so they charged to destroy it too...

Laughable, but it's laughing through the tears...

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Mike Hampton's avatar

I have no income. Substack does not pay South Africans. My data runs out. I borrowed someone's phone to check the comments. I'm not being polite for avoidance, I have bookmarked it.

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Angelina's avatar

I think Substack now offers paid subscriptions for SA "extended network" - can't you establish paid subscriptions now? Do you have something loke "buy me a coffee" service?

https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041314672-Are-there-any-countries-or-geographies-you-don-t-support

https://stripe.com/global

https://paystack.com/stripe/south-africa

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Thank you. I’ll try again. Maybe the world smiled whilst I hung on to bitching.

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Val D. Phillips's avatar

Thank you, Mike, for keeping us so well-informed, and for your thoughtful analysis.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

More opinion than analysis, but I thank thee.

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Constantine Markides's avatar

No analysis can avoid some degree of opinion, so I'm with Val

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