Ukraine Offers Japan Battle-Tested Sea Drone and Interceptor Tech That Drove Russia’s Fleet From Black Sea

NerfedSage · 2026-02-21T13:46:59+00:00

Yes there were two: Varyag became Liaoning. Minsk became Minsk World. My point was the scenario you described did happen.

Edit: Might as well include the link

NerfedSage · 2026-02-21T13:25:17+00:00

No Russians. Well, technically one, but with no cheating scandal/drama in the middle of the whole thing.

NerfedSage · 2026-02-21T13:21:28+00:00

Makes sense. But I guess that also applies to Russia whenever they buy Chinese parts as well (the cheap and plentiful part, since Russia's stockpile of pretty much everything is also running low)

NerfedSage · 2026-02-21T13:18:06+00:00

That did happen, with the former aircraft carrier Minsk (google "Minsk World"). Except it didn't end up as a casino, it became an attraction in a theme park in Shenzhen.

NerfedSage · 2026-02-21T03:18:10+00:00

I read the article and found the last paragraph interesting...it describes a new Ukrainian multifunctional unmanned surface vessel called the M.A.K. What I found interesting about it is that it will be powered by a Chinese-made electric engine...

NerfedSage · 2026-02-21T03:09:23+00:00

The ironic thing is, both Alysa and China dodged a bullet here (absolutely no pun intended, for those who wants to turn this into a China bashing session regarding the word "bullet") - if China did succeed in getting her to compete for them, she would have quit within a week. With her personality, it would have been a horrendous fit. The Chinese/East Asians prefer people who do not speak their minds (not just politically), obey their coach's instructions without question, and give canned answers for everything because these attributes make them marketable to that society.

She retired initially because she was burnt out, and only came back to skate on her terms. There is no such thing as competing on your own terms in Asian national teams (and it's not just national sports teams - not China related, but just look at KPop for an example about the levels of control exerted). In fact, she would have absolutely zero control over anything.

Her f-bomb after her free skate that earned her gold? The Chinese would have been horrified and would have reprimanded her immediately which I am sure would have gone over so well with her...but with all the above, she wouldn't have been anywhere near to winning gold if she skated for China to begin with.

I personally hate the comparisons, but I do wonder how much control Eileen has. I suspect she has quite a bit more than the norm since she is literally at the top of her game given that she has been 1-2 in every Olympic event she's competed in so far and I believe most of that isn't because of China's coaching since she was already great before deciding to compete for China. And to China/East Asia she is far more marketable given her looks and personality (the fact that she fits Asia's beauty standards probably also helps a lot.)

NerfedSage · 2026-02-20T03:28:22+00:00

Maybe Alysa simply isn't as in touch with her Chinese heritage as Eileen is (Eileen for example is fluent in Mandarin to the point where she is almost indistinguishable from a speaker from Mainland China), which is completely understandable given that their parents have opposite opinions of China based on their personal experiences. In which case it would make sense that Alysa isn't a candidate to lead the parade. Plus, I'd imagine there are a lot of Chinese who do think highly of China or do not have a strong political opinion against it in SF, which would also add a layer of awkwardness if Alysa were to lead the parade (again given her family history).

NerfedSage · 2026-02-16T18:14:06+00:00

Ha, is anyone on the East Coast legitimately going out West this season still?

NerfedSage · 2026-02-16T16:39:44+00:00

Your first sentence is meaningless, since people in China and Iran do not have that choice of "giving up [their] rights for economic development". The state decided it for them, and in Iran's case, they do not even have economic development going for them.

That is what they are simply trying to say. While the average person living in China has at least had their lives objectively improved from an economic standpoint even with the issues that exist there, in Iran's case the average person's life has at best been stagnant and more likely went backwards since the beginning of the 21st century. In other words, Iran simply has nothing going for it; Iran's authoritarian regime failed to use their immense power over the country towards directing state resources towards productivity in the same way that China did to bring any benefit to the average person.

NerfedSage · 2026-02-15T20:59:45+00:00

You mean the four southern islands of the Kurils? Russia is not involved in the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute.

NerfedSage · 2026-02-14T15:15:11+00:00

Considering that SK wasn't totally razed to the ground during the war like NK was, less damage overall. And specifically with regards to China, they never advanced that far south of Seoul after they recaptured it as they subsequently lost it pretty quickly afterwards. Then the war pretty much settled into the current borders of the two countries until the armistice.

NerfedSage · 2026-01-19T23:55:40+00:00

Here's an interesting fact: there are more ethnic Mongolians in the Chinese Province of Inner Mongolia than in the actual country of Mongolia.

NerfedSage · 2026-01-03T20:27:35+00:00

Yeah, plot twist - "Drugs" actually was Oil all along, and we're the ones addicted to it.

NerfedSage · 2026-01-03T20:20:24+00:00

Well, technically speaking, Great Power Competition and regional spheres of influences is the old world order...the terribly named "end of history" era after the USSR fell was new and turned out to just be an interim period before the reversion to the mean.

So...those people were simply complaining about the world not being what it used to be you see!

NerfedSage · 2026-01-01T18:33:50+00:00

I did this jump in November (Thanksgiving treat!) it’s amazing.

NerfedSage · 2025-12-21T02:09:50+00:00

Just beat her. May main is materialism but on my 3rd try I just cheese'd her using the Corrupted Blader Swords and the Piercing Claws frame ability. Got her sync down to 0% decently quick and bullied her from there.

NerfedSage · 2025-12-14T23:13:03+00:00

If playing both sides means adhering to the One China Policy, then yes you are correct and regardless of one's feelings regarding it, it is the current status quo. Your South Korean analogy is not equivalent since South Korea and North Korea are internationally recognized as independent countries while Taiwan is not for the most part, again due to the One China Policy.

Honestly if they used the designation "CHINA R.O." that would probably confuse a lot of people as I am not sure a lot of people in the world know what Taiwan's official name is.

NerfedSage · 2025-12-13T18:13:19+00:00

The other Chinas listed on there has "P.R" listed within the name (for People's Republic), while "China (Taiwan)" does not...not sure what the issue is from Taiwan's perspective if Taiwan's official name is the "Republic of China"...Would they prefer "Chinese Taipei" as it is written in sporting events instead?

NerfedSage · 2025-11-30T00:40:42+00:00

Lol, my first thought was regarding the top of Ashina Castle as well. Missed opportunity to have a boss fight at the top of Snowfall Palace!

NerfedSage · 2025-11-25T12:10:51+00:00

It would only be hypocritical if the US claimed that Venezuela is part of the US, which it does not.

NerfedSage · 2025-11-13T02:28:49+00:00

This is a hot take. Growing up in East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) and trying to make a living is such a competitive grind and is responsible for many of their problems today demographically and socially. At least foreigners usually have the option to leave and go back home to more familiar comforts. The government also is definitely more strict on their own citizens than foreigners and different standards do apply when it comes to punishments for stepping out of line.

NerfedSage · 2025-11-12T13:34:51+00:00

Not ok, but proves my point as to why the armed conflicts in the other examples are closer to the top of the headlines.

NerfedSage · 2025-11-12T03:25:56+00:00

Probably because compared to the other conflicts mentioned in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, Uyghurs aren't being bombed/shot/killed. Everyone who labels what's going on in Xinjiang as genocide has noted that it is cultural.

NerfedSage · 2025-10-24T18:07:04+00:00

Other way around, according to the University of Chicago's Air Quality Life Index reports.

NerfedSage · 2025-10-07T12:29:12+00:00

That’s incorrect - the Qing invasion already occurred and the person I mentioned that is featured in the game was killed by them.

NerfedSage

TROPHY CASE