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US Foreign Policy 3.0: We're The Mets of International Diplomacy

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Kepler said:
Are those Faraday cages or something? What's the principle?
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The principle is to either set the charge off early- so the shape charge can't penetrate the armor, OR damage the weapon enough to prevent it from going off. From some armor channels I see, they are more effective than pop culture makes them out to be- especially for anti armor grenades and older RPGs. Less so on the more sophisticated personal anti-tank weapons. But the drone versions are more like a slow flying RPG (or a fast anti tank grenade) than a dedicated missile- so they could be triggered or damaged as they pass through the slots.
 
Swansong said:
Current Russian conscripts were not attacked at Pearl Harbor (what would the Russian equivalent be here?) and don't have that righteous anger driving them.
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Every nation can always rely on some argument that what they are doing is self-defense. Russia argues they were defending themselves against Ukraine acquiring WMD (sound familiar?). The Nazis shoveled Jews into ovens because they were an existential threat to the master race.

We are always good and They are always evil. Humans are apes.
 
Good luck with that.

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree stating buyers "must open rouble accounts in Russian banks" from Friday.

"Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity either - that is, existing contracts will be stopped," the Russian president said.

Mr Putin's demand is being seen as an attempt to boost the rouble, which has been hit by Western sanctions.

Western companies and governments have rejected Russia's demands to pay for gas in roubles as a breach of existing contracts, which are set in euros or US dollars.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Western nations have issued economic and trading sanctions on Russia, but the European Union has not placed bans on oil or gas, unlike the US and Canada, as its member nations rely heavily on it.

The EU gets about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia, and has no easy substitutes if supplies are disrupted. Meanwhile, Russia currently gets €400m (?340m) per day from gas sales to the bloc and it has no way of rerouting this supply to other markets.

Mr Putin said the switch to roubles was meant to strengthen Russia's sovereignty, and it would stick to its obligations on all contracts, if Western nations obliged.

Germany said the change announced by Mr Putin amounted to "blackmail".

At a news conference, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he had not yet seen the new decree signed by Mr Putin.

"With regard to the threat, demand or consideration - one doesn't know what to call it anymore - to be made to pay in roubles, it is crucial for us that the contracts are respected," he said.

Separately, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said German companies would continue to pay for Russian gas using euros as stipulated in contracts.
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In today's "Well, no sh**," moment. CNBC reports that Ukraine staff and forces have said they have regained control of Chernobyl after Russian troops have withdrawn from the area.

Why would the Russians have withdrawn you ask? Apparently not only did they drive through and disturb the soil of some of the most radioactive areas to get to Chernobyl, the Russian troops also *DUG* trenches around the area. Reports are starting to come in with soldiers with severe radiation poisoning.
 
aparch said:
In today's "Well, no sh**," moment. CNBC reports that Ukraine staff and forces have said they have regained control of Chernobyl after Russian troops have withdrawn from the area.

Why would the Russians have withdrawn you ask? Apparently not only did they drive through and disturb the soil of some of the most radioactive areas to get to Chernobyl, the Russian troops also *DUG* trenches around the area. Reports are starting to come in with soldiers with severe radiation poisoning.
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Wow. That's a totally new level of dumb by their leaders. How in the world were they not aware of the situation around Pripyat? I can see the soldiers just doing what they are told, but to not know that most of the radiated area was just covered over and that it's really bad not too far down... wow.
 
MichVandal said:
Wow. That's a totally new level of dumb by their leaders. How in the world were they not aware of the situation around Pripyat? I can see the soldiers just doing what they are told, but to not know that most of the radiated area was just covered over and that it's really bad not too far down... wow.
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Honestly, how many people know that the dirt is still radioactive enough to kill you? Especially digging.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
Honestly, how many people know that the dirt is still radioactive enough to kill you? Especially digging.
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Anyone who knows just the basics of what happened there. It's hardly a secret that the UN Atomic Energy Commission is hosting a multi billion and multi decade effort to clean up the site. And it's pretty public knowledge in the west that all of that incredibly radioactive ash was just covered by soil (which is a pretty reasonable remediation method considering).

There's a dome there to cover the reactor, not for sporting events.
 
MichVandal said:
Anyone who knows just the basics of what happened there. It's hardly a secret that the UN Atomic Energy Commission is hosting a multi billion and multi decade effort to clean up the site. And it's pretty public knowledge in the west that all of that incredibly radioactive ash was just covered by soil (which is a pretty reasonable remediation method considering).

There's a dome there to cover the reactor, not for sporting events.
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Right, and if you ask 1,000 people on the streets you'll maybe find a dozen that would say don't play in the sandbox. More people have probably seen the extreme tourism videos of Chernobyl than understand why digging a tench is double plus ungood.

People like you and I may understand, but the average grunt in the Russian military is not. That's my point. :-)
 
The melt down happened many years ago, long before some of these guys were born. I imagine its not taught in Russian schools as I doubt they push their mistakes in school. Awful way to die.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
Right, and if you ask 1,000 people on the streets you'll maybe find a dozen that would say don't play in the sandbox. More people have probably seen the extreme tourism videos of Chernobyl than understand why digging a tench is double plus ungood.

People like you and I may understand, but the average grunt in the Russian military is not. That's my point. :-)
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I'm not expecting the normal troops to know it. I do expect the officers to, though. Especially the higher up ones. And tell them to not dig.
 
Kepler said:
Do you think the average American grunt just out of Basic has even heard of Chernobyl?
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Grunts just do what they are told to do, mostly. I 100% expect officers to know, as I've said before. They are the ones who told the troops to dig holes in the ground. Some of these officers were certainly around when the accident happened- a few may even have been involved with the clean up.
 
MichVandal said:
Grunts just do what they are told to do, mostly. I 100% expect officers to know, as I've said before. They are the ones who told the troops to dig holes in the ground. Some of these officers were certainly around when the accident happened- a few may even have been involved with the clean up.
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I'm not talking about not challenging the chain of command, that's how militaries work. I'm saying we are not coming at this from the mindset of an 18-year old who joins the army. You are already talking about life experience and knowledge severely limited not just by age but by access to information. These people could all be geniuses but if they grow up in the kind of household that typically sends their kids to the military as a career they do not have the background where they have much knowledge of the world over the next hill. They are, generally if not literally, home-schooled. And kids like that don't know anything.

Now add in they probably come from authoritarian backgrounds and trust their commanders not to harm them, and trust them when they say they are doing a mission of peace and liberation, and you wind up with lambs led to the slaughter -- again, even if they are personally highly intelligent and moral.

These kids are trapped by history. I empathize with them. They did nothing to deserve getting fucked.
 
Jimjamesak said:
Yes.
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I doubt it. It was a long time ago. I don't think we ever really grasp how old we are, and/or how young they are. 36 years ago is 18 years before they were born. For me, that's like knowing about the 1945 Balochistan earthquake, which killed 4000 people. I had never heard of it until I looked it up, and I am highly informed.
 
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