even if Nato tucks its tails between its legs and runs away from a winnable confrontation, Russia isn't taking the whole country, they don't have the manpower to run an occupation on a territory the size of Texas, with one of the most heavily armed and battle hardened populations on earth.

Russia already signed away any hope of an occupation that didn't fight them tooth and nail to the death, when they decided to massacre the villages of Bucha , Irpin, and Konotop. The world saw Russia for what it was then, That event "steeled" the resistance. I'm not trying to use hyperbole or sensationalism here, I'm stating that flat out, the Ukrainian people saw that the Russians will murder every single person who doesn't submit, and they've only continued that savage barbarism ever since. Bombing and Murdering people into submission NEVER works. It only gives them a reason to fight.

they weren't equipped to do an occupation in 2022. they sure as shit are less equipped to do so now. It would be one of the bloodiest insurgencies in history. The Taliban didn't have Leopards, Javelins, and HIMARs rockets they could put into hiding.

the thought process probably revolves around "No, we'll just put the teenagers looking for their first jobs to work. and if that fails. Uh. Elon Robots!"

I'd have an easier time laughing at his sad state if I wasn't already mad that the guy is objectively a traitor and a goon of Vladimir Putin.

Not in construction, but I dont think I've ever seen a friend who ran their own business and did this, ever succeeded in the long run. taking payments under the table I mean. or paying staff for that matter. its a sign that someone is bush league.

Its just gonna be a question of how unsecure Win10 gets , and how fast.

My pc is from 2019, although I've upgraded the hardware several times. But I've basically reached a ceiling of practicality, its no longer practical to upgrade anything. Im on an outdated chipset (AM4) and jumping from a 3080 to a 4080 isn't really going to fix the problem of games just being unoptimized. It makes more sense to build a new PC than it does to just change OS on this.

but right now, it just doesnt make sense to build a new PC either.. I dont lift a finger on anything unless im going to be able to see at minimum 20% performance increase, I just dont see that without emptying my savings account...

I would argue that the world has been a very different place in 2024/2025 than it was the last time around, if for no other reason than we are effectivley 2 or 3 years into an already started Third World War.

(people just dont want to admit it yet because there aren't nukes flying or major advesaries directley engaged with each other yet... and thats what they associate WW3 with. but make no mistake, we're there. It's started, for a while now. We're basically in the Spanish Civil War / Japanese Invasion of China stages. )

My point here is not to fearmonger but just to say, the world is multitudes more dangerous and inflamed than it ever was at any point between the first trump administration. its a dangerous, **dangerous **fucking time to have a senile geriatric manchild-troll in the whitehouse.

I dont know what we will do, but I know the answer isn't to just accept it and deal with it, like those foaming at the mouth screaming at Ukraine to just "sign a peace deal" when the terms of that issue is their country permanentley losing its sovereignty. You can't just roll over and take it. The Nukes thing is effectively a nonstarter here, as it is in Ukraine, because Nuclear proliferation is basically treated as an act of war by the UN sec council . In the view of the nuclear armed, No one is allowed to have Nuclear weapons but them, The days of countries starting nuclear programs and not getting bombed for it are long gone.

If such a thing was to happen, and the US Military didn't take care of the problem by coup'ing their obviously rogue administration, attacking its own allies. Then I suppose I'll be a statistic in the insurgency. I have no intention of living as a third class non-citizen in my own home to a foreign power and the traitors who invited them. I dont care if it's Chinese, Russian, or American.

Trump, Orban, LePen, Fico, they're all comlicit in the gang of mafia stooges that are different flavors of the same Mobster Kleptocrat Authoritarian that Putin is the ringmaster of.

Western europe has no choice now, they have to arm up and possibly prepare for war with Russia, or resign, and accept Russian Dominion.

The US will do as it wills, they're going to backslide into fighting with themselves, and evidently with Canada and Mexico at this current rate. Europe will have to take the torch, if for no other reason than that they have no choice. Russia and NATO have been de-facto at war with each other for a while.

I've even said that WW3 started years ago but people generally dont agree because they only associate the term WW3, with nuclear exchanges.

theres' no turning back from this state though. the last chance we had at an "offramp" was in september 6 to 21 of 2022. at that point, the russian army had suffered a major defeat and been pushed out of over half the territory they had conquered. That was Putin and Kremlin's opportunity to back off before this spiraled totally beyond control, instead, that door was slammed shut forever on the 21st when Russia announced a mobilization.

Now, its not going to stop until either Ukraine signs over part of its territory in exchange for NATO protection, Or the fight goes on until a government collapses. (either way just means more war, east or west) No ceasefire outside of of that deal I mentioned, will actually last, or truthfully stop the hostilities. Russian treaties are just an alternate spelling of Toilet paper

the difference beforehand was that prior to the shooting (big shooting at least). One was a flawed democracy that was trying to improve, and trying to do to itself what Poland did to itself after 20-30 years in NATO and EU.

the other was an authoritarian mob state. going from one to the other, was evidently worth fighting to the death over, I am inclined to agree.

I don't care if its a joke. Jokes about countries not being real, being artificial, questioning sovereignty. all of that became completely unfunny after Feb 24 2022

the dichotimy of the US and Canada, is eerily similar to that of Russia and Ukraine.

Neighbors, Cultural ties, History of imperialism attempted or otherwise, Tinpot expansionist ambitions for no better reason than Russkiy Mir / Manifest Destiny / DURR LINES ON MAPS BIGGER.

America can tell Russia Ukraine formally surrenders, and that the moon is made of cheese, it isnt going to stop anyone from fighting to protect themselves.

The fact that even western countries seem to think that there can be negotiations about the fate of Ukraine and its people, without the Ukrainian voice present, is laughable and directley supports Putin and the Russian Mafia's fantasy-narrative.