Doubledee [comrade/them]

The problem for Ukraine is not one of budgeting. Foreign policy is largely the domain of the president especially since the legislature has given up on war powers and doing anything to restrict the use of force.

Ukraine isn’t winning with the resources and backing it currently has, and it was losing ground even when supported by the comparatively enthusiastic Biden admin. Trump (correctly in my view) believes the situation will continue to deteriorate and that Ukraine is best off negotiating an end to the war as soon as it can before the terms get even worse.

Congress can’t compel Hegseth to conduct the war in a certain way, what Trump wants is what he is going to get until he leaves more or less. Which means Ukraine needs to hold out until 2029, at which point the damage will be done most likely.

Edit: I know the US isn’t fighting the war directly but the use of its intelligence sharing, materiel, and logistical/soft power have been indisposable to the conduct of the war before Trump came back. If he can’t be forced to be more generous with these things, which he can’t, he can force the war to end and worsen Ukraine’s position however much he would like to. A prospect that becomes more and more likely the more irritated he gets with what he perceives as Ukraine not cooperating with his goals.

I thought the Poppy War was pretty bad. Killed my motivation to read anything else from her.

oil prices are high because that’s what putin can use as leverage against the developed world after his failed annexation of Ukraine and it’s clear he’d rather die than accept Ukraine is an independent country.

… is this “Putin” in the room with us right now?

I think there was a culture shock when federation first hit. We had a ton of ‘engagement’ from people who were using ableist, racist, and transphobic slurs, which brought out strong reactions from our community because we believe its important to shut that stuff down on solidarity with our comrades. And as things got heated I think our willingness to believe people wanted good faith debate eroded.

We do love a good dunking though, and I think overall the community has a lower threshold for going full pig poop balls on people than I would prefer.

Then why do it? You’re the only one in this whole thread with any issue, unless you can point to someone else who has had it. The most desperate form of deflection was using upvotes/downvotes as a point like populists always do.

But they aren’t the only person here with an issue. My comment wasn’t as confrontational but I also clearly raised a red flag at the question being asked and the reasons people start asking these kinds of questions. I also see what you’re doing. I just don’t want to spend the next week doing this thing you’re calling a debate.

Because the two things aren’t actually the same and because of what it means in context to oppose a culture vs. a cult. You might oppose scientology in a variety of ways, they have a leader, buildings, staff, bank accounts, a documented history of infiltrating the government and harassing people, a curated list of members etc.

A cult may or may not have all of those but they’re a different kind of thing than a culture. Cultures are social categories that encompass a much wider range of human behaviors for one, they include things like sport and art and language. Festivals and practices and food and manners. They’re things a human can’t really help having even if you can choose to adopt parts and change others. Religion, which is a thing you seem to be conflating with culture, is just a part of culture. Egyptian Copts have Christianity like many Americans. They are also very different culturally.

But the bigger reason people should be very careful when people start criticizing culture is because we know what that means. What does one do about “cultural Bolshevism?”

What do conservatives actually want done about “Black culture?” What did bringing “culture” to the “savages” mean? How does someone stop being from a culture?

We know how those questions get answered. And that tells us something about why those questions might be asked in the first place.

What the fuck even is this question? Is it a joke I don’t understand?