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Cont: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine part 8

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dudalb said:
I wonder if the Czechs are not happy to be rid of the Slovaks.
The Czech republic is fairly stable, whereas Slovakis has been a constant mess.
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The Slovaks rallied in support of Nazi occupation, the Czechs gave the Nazis a big middle finger. Just sayin'.
 
dudalb said:
I wonder if the Czechs are not happy to be rid of the Slovaks.
The Czech republic is fairly stable, whereas Slovakis has been a constant mess.
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Nah. I miss Czechoslovakia. But I was born 40km from the border, Prague might see it differently. And certainly Slovaks see Prague differently.
As for the mess, I guess we are quite matched. Slovakia might seem worse now, but for years president Caputova was unreachable ideal for Czechs, who had to suffer Zeman. Fico might be winner now, but we had Babis before and he's likely to be back. Slovakia now leads in pro Russian sympathy, but we did decades before the war.
 
Meanwhile Burger King is still doing business in Russia despite promises to withdraw:

Burger King remains open as usual in Russia despite the brand's owner pledging to leave more than a year ago.

Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns 15% of the fast-food's franchise business in Russia, told the BBC it had "no new updates to share at this time" on its exit.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66739104

I don't eat fast food but if I did then I wouldn't be eating Burger King. :mad:
 
Apparently, not all billionaires are contemptable morons.

https://www.virgin.com/branson-fami...ly-treating-ukraine-like-a-political-football

Reading of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent journey to Washington, I was rightly worried that US support for Ukraine would lose momentum and scale. Some members of Congress have made no secret of their disdain for Ukraine’s fight, with Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene spitefully calling a vote for more aid a “blank check” for a “proxy war.”

Not surprisingly, aid for Ukraine has now become a casualty of this weekend’s congressional battle of over the US government’s spending bill. To avert a looming shutdown of the US government, Representatives and Senators of both parties voted for a last-minute stopgap bill that does not include any new funding for Ukraine. It’s a disgraceful outcome that could have far-reaching consequences – forced by a small group of Republican extremists who leave many to wonder whose side they are really on.

All of this is devastating, not just for Ukraine and its brave people, but also for those who see the bigger picture. I cannot be said often enough: Ukraine’s troops are defending far more than their own sovereignty and national identity. Their struggle is ours. They are fighting and dying so the rest of us don’t have to. What’s at stake are values and principles many of us hold dear: freedom, the rule of law, universal human rights. Today’s Russia is not a place any of us should want to live in: a corrupt, paranoid autocracy in the obsessive pursuit of pointless imperial ambitions. Reducing critical military support while gradually pushing for a dictated peace on Russia’s terms would not only be an unforgiveable betrayal of Ukraine. It would also legitimise Putin’s political brinkmanship, validate his bogus territorial claims, and encourage further aggressions against Russia’s neighbours. This is no fearmongering. It has happened before. Just ask the Baltic nations.

This is why I encourage Ukraine’s allies to double down on their commitments, particularly to military aid. Let’s also not forget assurances for Ukraine’s safety given by the US and the United Kingdom in 1994, prompting Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons. The continued stability and prosperity of the free world must not become a casualty of short-term thinking, especially at a moment when Ukrainian troops are reportedly making promising gains on the battlefield.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters don’t want peace. But it’s worth remembering that sometimes peace in indeed worth fighting for, so that future generations, in Ukraine and beyond, can inherit a world where identity, sovereignty and freedom cannot be brushed aside by tyranny and the whims of power politics.
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ThatGuy11200 said:
Apparently, not all billionaires are contemptable morons.

https://www.virgin.com/branson-fami...ly-treating-ukraine-like-a-political-football
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I've seen references to Branson being a vague "supporter" of Ukraine. Does that mean he's giving any of his own vast fortune to this just cause, or is he simply advocating for others to do so?

That sounds a bit snarky, but it's an honest question. If he's actually sending any significant amount of his own vast fortune it would significantly change the way I interpret this statement.
 
TurkeysGhost said:
I've seen references to Branson being a vague "supporter" of Ukraine. Does that mean he's giving any of his own vast fortune to this just cause, or is he simply advocating for others to do so?

That sounds a bit snarky, but it's an honest question. If he's actually sending any significant amount of his own vast fortune it would significantly change the way I interpret this statement.
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If I knew what fraction of your disposable income you're sending Ukraine's way, it would significantly change the way I interpret this post.
 
Jack by the hedge said:
On a per capita basis the US is among the most generous donors but is not necessarily the most generous.
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At last check it was more like... the US is providing the most in raw numbers by a large margin, but when it comes to percentage of GDP, the US is usually near the bottom of the contributors of note list.

What we're giving is certainly significant to Ukraine, but effectively chump change to us. One can shrink that burden on the US even more with the note that a large portion of what we've contributed is equipment that's not going to be used anyways and that is more costly to us to maintain or decommission than it is to just ship off to Ukraine where it can be used to very disproportionate effect and shrink the burden on our defense spending when it comes to the portion that's dedicated to preparedness to fight Russia.
 
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Thanks for the corrections on what I misremembered as per capita vs GDP. It's rather like all those adjustment factors Perun describes in his videos, like where a million dollars worth of artillery shells gets you a number that varies greatly depending on how wealthy a country made them.
 
TurkeysGhost said:
I'm literally curious if Branson has given any of his personal money to Ukraine. His name seems to come up a lot concerning the situation, but is quite vague on the details

This isn't some gotcha or whatever. If he's given some of his personal money I would find that quite commendable.
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Of course all of this was a thinly veiled gotcha

How dare he speak about this unless I know where every penny of his has gone
 
Jack by the hedge said:
I think the last time I saw any figures Branson as a UK taxpayer was contributing more than you. On a per capita basis the US is among the most generous donors but is not necessarily the most generous.

(Actually on reflection I don't know that beardie is a UK tax payer. He likely lives in some tax efficient haven.)
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Mustique.
 
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