Georgia/Russia Conflict

[slim 1,525]

I just missed the new age cut-off for the Army, so I'm safe unless we invade Iran.

Are you insinuating there'll be a need for a draft, to include the "more seasoned" vets as well? Over 1,000,000 shaheed-hopeful Persians can't be stopped by the guys we have now? Come on! They sure do have a lot of oil... er, ah, I mean, oppressed people there.

See if you can get a waiver or something, I'm sure they could work something out. It doesn't really take too much to be an 11B. "Here's you gun and your rucksack. Now, see those guys way over there? Run at them and shoot them. HUA!"

BTW, Russia are claiming an end to "military operations," so expect to see the photo ops any day now of President Medvedev on an aircraft carier with a big 'ol "Миссия выполнена!" sign behind him.

I almost pi$$ed my pants! I hope we get to see this on the "Fair and Balanced" news.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Just a hypothetical here guys.... but what if the U.S. and Russia really did get in a fight someday?

Could you "man the lines" against your S/O's countrymen?

I assume the govt. would get all 442 on us and send us to fight in the sandbox instead, but could you do it now? I know there are a few of us on here who trained, at length, to do just that but has it changed now that we have a "conflict of interests" here at home?

Not an issue for me because;

1) I am too old

2) I am too fat

3) I am too lazy

4) I have two iPods

[mox 298]

See if you can get a waiver or something, I'm sure they could work something out. It doesn't really take too much to be an 11B. "Here's you gun and your rucksack. Now, see those guys way over there? Run at them and shoot them. HUA!"

Heh. If it comes down to a draft, then as far as the Army's concerned, I'm a gay, flat-footed, asthmatic cross-dresser.

BTW, Russia are claiming an end to "military operations," so expect to see the photo ops any day now of President Medvedev on an aircraft carier with a big 'ol "Миссия выполнена!" sign behind him.

I almost pi$$ed my pants! I hope we get to see this on the "Fair and Balanced" news.

Anyone here handy with the photochopping?

In some more somber news, I just found out my Ukranian friend (of the bad kidneys and distrust for Western medicine fame) has a friend who only a few months ago went to Georgia for work. Nobody can get hold of her right now. She doesn't know where in Georgia she went to work, so it could just be a case of the country's communication infrastructure being overloaded. Hopefully it turns out well.

4) I have two iPods

Yeah but you just know the commies want to take away your iPods!

[Brad and Vika 129]

See if you can get a waiver or something, I'm sure they could work something out. It doesn't really take too much to be an 11B. "Here's you gun and your rucksack. Now, see those guys way over there? Run at them and shoot them. HUA!"

Heh. If it comes down to a draft, then as far as the Army's concerned, I'm a gay, flat-footed, asthmatic cross-dresser.

BTW, Russia are claiming an end to "military operations," so expect to see the photo ops any day now of President Medvedev on an aircraft carier with a big 'ol "Миссия выполнена!" sign behind him.

I almost pi$$ed my pants! I hope we get to see this on the "Fair and Balanced" news.

Anyone here handy with the photochopping?

In some more somber news, I just found out my Ukranian friend (of the bad kidneys and distrust for Western medicine fame) has a friend who only a few months ago went to Georgia for work. Nobody can get hold of her right now. She doesn't know where in Georgia she went to work, so it could just be a case of the country's communication infrastructure being overloaded. Hopefully it turns out well.

4) I have two iPods

Yeah but you just know the commies want to take away your iPods!

I understood that it was a clear disqualifier

[NavarreMan 10]

But... to get a little more deep, men with money, LOTS and LOTS of money can change the world as well. ("So what if the Security Council didn't approve an invasion. Don't you know how much oil they have there?") But, it ends up being men with guns who change the minds of the men with money. The men with the money end up hiring other men with guns and before you know it, the cycle repeats itself until either the money dries up because too many men with money now fear men with guns or the men with guns make enough money for the men with money that the other men with guns cease to fight.

I hope that wasn't as hard to write as it was to read!

All I really know about the conflict I get from our news and from Tanya and Victor. I know I cannot trust our news and Tanya & Victor get their info from relatives, friends and a variety of websites. From what I can make of it, Geogia was poking Russia in the chest for some time now and Russia pulled the ol "wack-a-mole" on Georgia. I find this fairly credible due to Russia's cease in aggression (for lack of a better term). They have not appeared interested in taking over the country and statements by Medvedev appear to support this. Their attacks were very selective v. widespread destruction.

Victor has mentioned that news reports indicated some evidence of mass executions in and around S. Osentia. I have refused to take sides on the matter due to lack of personal knowledge of the issues but I tend to lean their direction only because I believe they have better sources of factual information.

I will wait until the facts are in...

[mox 298]

I think when all is said and done, 2 things will emerge:

1) The White House gave tacit approval to Georgia to move into South Osettia, in the naive belief that Russia would not respond. The US wants Georgia in NATO very badly, and I think the Bush administration believed that if Georgia could demonstrate that it's now got a firm grasp on its country, NATO membership would be practically guaranteed.

2) Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia has been looking for a way to prove they are still relevant on the world stage. The Georgian situation was a gift from heaven for Russia. Say what you want about a "disproportionate response," but last week everybody was talking about China, and this week everyone's talking about Russia. Europe is once again in fear of its Eastern neighbor, especially Germany who has a pretty big dependence on Russian oil. If you're the Russian government, you are loving life right about now, because you're back in black baby, and things just got a little frostier, just like you like it.

[Chuckles 0]

Just a hypothetical here guys.... but what if the U.S. and Russia really did get in a fight someday?

Could you "man the lines" against your S/O's countrymen?

I assume the govt. would get all 442 on us and send us to fight in the sandbox instead, but could you do it now? I know there are a few of us on here who trained, at length, to do just that but has it changed now that we have a "conflict of interests" here at home?

I for one could not.

If there was a war declared my wife, the hyper-Russian patriot, would kill me first in the name of "mother Russia"!

I have no doubt she loves her country more then me. She might love bread and butter more then me too... I don't know, but I am sure she loves her country more.

[slim 1,525]

4) I have two iPods

"You can have my iPod when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers."

Heh. If it comes down to a draft, then as far as the Army's concerned, I'm a gay, flat-footed, asthmatic cross-dresser.

They're still going to need quartermasters!

If there was a war declared my wife, the hyper-Russian patriot, would kill me first in the name of "mother Russia"!

Now that's a great point! I don't know if my wife loves her country more than I love mine, but I'm sure she would love to have a viable excuse to stab me in the throat with an ice pick while I slept.

Simmer down Russia. Please. Do it for me. (Sleeping with one eye open now......)

[mox 298]

[NavarreMan 10]

:rofl: :rofl:

I do not know how to translate the lolcats to Tanya but I am going to make the effort. This was priceless!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Loved the picture of Putin. Where do you guys get this stuff? Too funny.

Well according to the news this morning (both FOX & CNN) the Russians have moved into Gori, which is south of South Ossetia. The Russians say they only moved here to squash fighting, however, it just so happens that Gori has the only road and railroad that passes from the west to east in Georgia. Maybe the Russians plan to stop the fighting by starving Georgia of all food sources.

And there were reports of Russian bombing of a strategic oil pipeline farther to the south. I'm sorry, does the flow of this oil to Turkey and then to Europe really affect the people of South Ossetia in a negative way. I guess Putin just doesn't want any competition from any FSU countries.

[mox 298]

I do not know how to translate the lolcats to Tanya but I am going to make the effort. This was priceless!

Explain to her that it's sort of an English version of the Preved meme that's still going around Russia. (original preved picture here.)

Don't know if anyone heard McCain's "Today we are all Georgian's" (seriously, he actually said that) speech, but here it is, if you can stomach it:

Obama's position isn't much better, pushing again for Georgia to be allowed to join NATO. Neither candidate, or our government, or even our media, has managed to come close to explaining the reality of the situation, which is much more complex than just "Russian aggression." I'm starting to think that because Americans are starting to suffer from "terrorism fatique," the neocon strategy is to create a new enemy, and they think they can turn Russia into 1938 Germany. Unfortunately Putin will be all too happy to oblige.

[Ilya R. 0]

Russia has Churches.....

Poor McCain, mentioned hundreds (what number exact?) of Georgian kills, not a single word of how many Ossetians died. This sort of one sided bullshit is what is so sad.

Edited August 13, 2008 by Ilya R.

[KGSodie 0]

Having been in the military in the past, if they were to attempt to call up old, out of shape guys I think I'd invoke the 'conscientious objector' defense. If being married to a Russian doesn't give one solid ground to object to fighting against them, I sure don't know what it would take.

It really is sad, though, as all wars (or any other word you want to use to describe armed conflict) inevitably are. People suffer and die, be they guilty, innocent, military, civilian. I'm not a peace-monger, but I certainly haven't read or heard anything (from any news outlet, or here on VJ) that makes me believe any of this was necessary.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone suffering unimaginable pain and losses there, be they Ossetian , Georgian, Russian, or whatever.

[slim 1,525]

I heard Condi talking on the radio today and she's going over there tomorrow with some U.S. troops.

My "Oh $#!T meter" went into the red.

Didn't hear the specifics but something about "serious consequences" if aggression didn't stop.

I hate to see what happens next if a there's an "incident" involving U.S. vs. R.F. forces.

Truly scary stuff. And Condi speaks Russian.....