I could go to the way back to February, except that back then I sincerely believed Russia was fucked. I stopped following things March and didn't really start following events again until July.
Date: January 20th, 2023 7:13 PM Author: Blue gunner nursing home
This turned out to be an accurate characterization of the August counteroffensive. From top to bottom, it consisted of Ukrainians driving into areas where risk of combat was minimal.
Date: January 20th, 2023 11:06 PM Author: Blue gunner nursing home
Of course this dick rider posts the same info months later with no actual satellite photos. He makes an interactive map that is less informative than tweets from two months ago.
Date: January 20th, 2023 7:41 PM Author: Brussels Sprout (Apropos of the Wet Snow)
NSAM, to be fair, u were no where to be found on xoxo exactly one year ago, when I joined the board, and predicted Putin would invade Ukraine 2 days after the Winter Olympics in China (delaying the onslaught merely to appease Xi)-- so don't come here with your Johnny come lately pro-Russian/Putin bootlicking
Date: January 20th, 2023 7:44 PM Author: Blue gunner nursing home
I was right here predicting that Putin would not invade. I am open about my failed predictions.I made many before late July.
Interestingly, we just learned within the last few days that Zelensky also did not think Russia would invade. Burns visited him personally in January 2022 and said invasion was imminent, but Zelensky told him Russia was just posturing and the troop movements were flame.
Date: January 20th, 2023 7:49 PM Author: Brussels Sprout (Apropos of the Wet Snow)
that is exactly right: Macron/France and all of Germany accused Biden of war mongering and the CIA of a fear campaign undermining European peace and stability, as late as February 1, 2022; I was the first to suggest Germany and Russia/Putin were in cahoots for a Pearl Harbor attack and quick surrender by Ukraine--truth turns out Putin had longstanding premeditated plans to fuck Ukraine up the ass {war of attrition and genocide}, Zelenskyy and the rest of Europe none the wiser
Date: January 20th, 2023 7:54 PM Author: Blue gunner nursing home
I strongly believe the shot callers in Germany wanted a limited war and wanted Russia to win in the end, but I can't prove it. They certainly acted consistent with that intent. France too.
Date: January 20th, 2023 8:48 PM Author: Brussels Sprout (Apropos of the Wet Snow)
to be fair, your analysis of America's debacle in Kabul was tough but fair: incidentally, I met a state dept atty, much like urself, who admitted many American translators were hunted down and executed by the Taliban after we cut and ran from Afghanistan
Date: January 20th, 2023 9:36 PM Author: Blue gunner nursing home
I did get a fair number wrong for one thing. Mostly I thought Ukraine would have a food crisis before it had an energy crisis. I thought Russia would bomb food stores before it went for the electricity grid and I thought we would see real food insecurity in December.
Ukraine also pulled off some stunts I wouldn't have predicted, mostly assassinations of local officials installed by the Russians, and later on some rail sabotage. I thought maybe I had underestimated their reach.