ANC and the Russian connection ... what can possibly go wrong?

Off-Topic (In the weeds/General Discussion)
23

I do like the Americans’ excuse.
It’s not a tank; it’s a battle system. It is so advanced nobody will be able to work it or maintain it.
It’s so choc a bloc full of secret technology we can’t let it out in the wild.
In other words, it is so fantastically brilliantly superior that we can’t actually deploy it in battle.
It’ll take three years to dumb it down and to make tech support available to use it.

Ironically, It was British housewives that won the Battle of Britain.
They did it by building 2 Spitfires for every 1 Messerschmidt 109 that German engineers could produce.

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24

It seems the one thing that can make or break any war effort, is the supply chain logistics.

And the USA seems to have that pat down. Big ships, big planes … big everything.

Hence the issue with their latest battle tanks … they still need to resolve that tiny detail, over and above the alledged “super secret” tech inside them…

25

Maybe, the tanks are already there. We just can’t see them because their camouflage is so high-tech. :lying_face:

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26

I went to SARS’s site to see how important Russia is as a trading partner to SA.
Initially I thought Russia was a small fish in our total trade market, after seeing the data from SARS my suspicions have been all but confirmed.

In 2022 our total exports to Russia total R4.4B and imports R8.5B
For those of you ready to say : Yeah but that’s with sanctions etc
In 2021 : Imports totaled : R6B and exports R9.2B

Compare that with a country like Germany where in 2022
SA Exports totaled : R151B
SA Imports totaled: R123B

Its crazy, we even have more trade with the Czech Republic than we do with Russia…
Or even funnier, if we look at exports we also export more products to the “Economic powerhouse” that is Pakistan than we do to Russia…

So I can only conclude its not in the national interest that we align ourselves with Russia, unless of course it only to prove to the other BRICS members that we are all about “Having each other backs” in which case the trade between us and China can be brought into question, and that is actually significant (SA Exports R174B SA Imports R329B)
But if you tally up all the numbers we still trade more with the Europe + US than we do with Russia + China.

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27

Poland to receive first US Abrams tanks in spring: Minister

Poland’s defense minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, said the Polish army will take delivery of 58 Abrams battle tanks from the United States in spring.

This follows Washington’s announcement on Wednesday that it would supply 31 of the vehicles to Ukraine as it defends itself against the Russian invasion.

“This spring we will receive the first Polish Abrams, which will be used by the Polish army,” Blaszczak told public broadcaster Polskie Radio 1. “This year, 58 Abrams will arrive in Poland.”

28

Really old story of a Scottish airman, who years after the war is invited to give a talk about his time in the war at a nearby Girls’ school. So picture the man, halfway into a vivid tale of cat and mouse in the air, he was passionately telling them about this time he had these two Fokker’s on his tail. The principal of the school decided to step in, and inform the girls that a Fokker is indeed a type of aircraft, to which the airman replied: The madam is quite correct, but these fokkers were in Messerschmidts!

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29

The oldies are the best.

30

Zeihan is not my favorite commentator. The way I see it a few dozen leopard and abrams tanks not going to dent Russian’s ~10,200 tanks (including various T-72s, 3,000 T-80s, and 200 T-90s…)

31

BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
South Africa is the 2023 chair of BRICS.

32

How come?
His tie? Ponytail? :joy:

Who do you prefer? So I can look 'em up too.

33

What 10,200 tanks … are those the ones that have rusted, or cannibalized for spare parts, to keep the “best of the best” currently being driven into Ukraine operational, to shoot a few shells off that N/Korea sold them?

It seems however that Ukraine’s tank battalions are growing by the day … they pick them up for free everywhere, farmers converted some as tractors even, the ones not shot to pieces, left behind due to whatever reason, primarily lack of maintenance and no spare parts, then fixed up by the Ukrainians and used to shoot right back at the Russian using their own tanks and ammunitions.

:rofl:

Ok ok, a LOT of authors’ freedom there, in jest, but it is along the lines I’ve been reading of what is happening there …

O, one more, cannot resist… not to leave out a mention of Chinese tires on the cheap, for military vehicles no less, that when they deflate for the last time, those vehicles are also left along the roads for use by the Ukrainian forces, after painting over the “Z’s”.

:rofl:

“They” say, something like one cared-for working tool in expert hands is worth 10 delipidated tools in non-experienced hands.

34

The mid 2022 video by Nathan Rich does a good analysis of neocon Peter Zeihan’s teams presentation to US military:

Neocon Peter Zeihan states at 9:56 “Over the next few years, we’re probably going to lose a billion people from famine as globalization breaks down. And the Russians have ensured that this starts in the fourth quarter of this year [2022].”
Thank God this prediction has as not happened.

Neocon Peter Zeihan states at 10:28 “The Chinese are going to have to suck up the entirety of the entire shortfall [of Russian oil] from the entire Ukraine war. We are talking a minimum of 5 million [oil] barrels a day that the Chinese just aren’t going to have so the overall ability to source crude is dropping by over a third and there is no way you do that without an industrial stop [in China]. That’s probably going to happen before the end of the year [2022]. We’re that close”
Well it’s 2023, and this prediction has also not happened.

Here is a 2nd video from Nathan Rich, gets interesting at about 8:30

Here are a few more analyses of the spectacular failed predictions by neocon Peter Zeihan:

Here is a take down of Neocon Peter Zeihan EV views:

PS. Just google “Peter Zeihan Lies”

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35

This is not my opinion.
Here is video with Scott Ritter, expert in these matters, former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer and United Nations Special Commission weapons inspector, thinks few dozen leopard and abrams tanks will do in the war:

Happy for you to argue with Scott Ritter’s points.

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36

I listened to Scott Ritter sharing his views.

From what I’ve read, listened to, and watched in the last year, I’m sorry, but I disagree with him.

Is NATO “innocent”, Europe? They were getting pipelines built to buy more Russian energy. Things were good financially for Russia, and Europe/Nato … innocent Russia, no, don’t think so.

Sweden and Finland were impartial, till they joined Nato, Turkjey will change their vote … watch.

Agree with the limited amount of tanks and the perceived impact, the moral boost, is incalculable. So I would consider waiting and see IF that is indeed the case IF the Ukrainians do get them one day. Ukraine has shown what committed dedicated people can do when pushed.

When this war is over, Putin would be gone and Russia set 30 years back. The atrocities they are committing, it is unforgivable. There is no way they will get away from that in the eyes of the world.

And this is from me, who at one point a few years back, thought Putin was quite a stable person, Lavrov quite the charismatic diplomat, both saying it as it is … till the WAR on Ukraine.

So Scott Ritter, sorry sir, won’t be watching your interviews again. Wasted my time with your infatuation with Russia, how they were "wronged … “from Russia with Love”, not.

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37

This is what I mean about the threat to Koeberg’s fuel deal.

38

Henry Kissinger once said “To be an enemy of the US is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal”
As many nations have learnt to their peril, US is not a trustworthy partner.

39

That being so, are there any partners that are trustworthy?

…or who would you climb into bed with with the best outcomes?

40

powership+limpet mine=loadshedding :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth:

41

re kissinger and other alternative truth politicians - is there any other kind :face_with_raised_eyebrow: Why Leaders Lie: The Truth About Lying in International Politics with John Mearsheimer - YouTube

42

I agree with that. Also the Monroe Doctrine.

USA is no-ones “friend”, Me, Me, Me, profit, profit, profit comes to mind, and then the Monroe Doctrine if any of that is perceived to be putting USA interest “at risk”, or “threatened”.

Tying one’s economy too tight with the USA, when their debt bubble burst, nou ja.

Mmm, even if one is not tied to them, it is still a word, literally, of hurt coming one day.

The Roman Empire also comes to mind, how they came to a fall in the end, it also took time, but the then greatest empire came down due to internal factors. Greed, politics.

Russia, China, Middle East, have no patience anymore for the USA meddling anymore.

Here we sit today.