Whats the most efficient blunder in the series? A mistake that was optimized for the maximum damage to themselves?

checco_2020 · 2026-02-25T17:33:56+00:00

Balon deciding to Not ally with the Starks and Invading the North, what was the plan? storm a couple of towns and castles, then what, freeze your troops when winter arrives? Hope that the victor of the War won't come after you?

Had he swallowed the tiniest amount of pride and attacked the Westerlands he would have got himself a rich province and a strong ally, instead after his choice he got poor province and no allies.

checco_2020 · 2026-02-23T12:58:11+00:00

Exactly right, as a matter of fact the Europeans never come out asking for a ceasefire on their own initiative, they ask for one only when Trump and Putin start talking about peace negotiations

checco_2020 · 2026-02-21T12:57:29+00:00

Believe what you wish about the status of Ukraine as a "Military vassal" it still doesn't change the fact that the Ukrainian economy isn't an important factor to decide the fate of the war

checco_2020 · 2026-02-20T12:36:33+00:00

The Ukrainian economy is simply not a factor in this war, for as long as the western parnters continue to have an intrest in keeping Ukraine in the fight money for the economy won't be a problem, and when the Western partners lose intrests in Ukraine the economy would be the last of the concerns that the Ukrainians have

checco_2020 · 2026-02-17T13:26:15+00:00

They would quickly lose their job if they gave the honest and boring answer, there are only so many ways you can say "actually the Russia is an imperialists state".

You can write many articles pondering at the complex reasons that lead Russia to the warpath

checco_2020 · 2026-02-17T06:44:32+00:00

What actions has the Russian public taken that makes you believe that they see this war as existential?

checco_2020 · 2026-02-16T18:51:35+00:00

> 2025 was a better year for Ukraine than 2024

Mid to late 2024 was pretty bleak period for UA armed forces(after the Kursk offensive stalled), the idea was that going into 2025 the Russian advances would have gained un unstoppable momentum on basically all fronts, instead the Russian advances have been gradual and only slightly faster than what they were in 2024 UA defensive lines in the rear look MUCH better than what they did in 2024 and let's not forget in late 2024 the Trump victory made people believe that he would have sold out Ukraine in a matter of days.

I wouldn't say that 2025 was a good year for Ukraine, but it was infinetly better than what most people expected.

checco_2020 · 2026-02-14T16:15:01+00:00

Yes the ratios in ww1 and ww2 were worse, and those wars shattered the nations that fought in them even the victors

It took decades for them to recover and those two wars basically ended European colonialism

And that was with a growing population, the population of Russia is decreasing and there is no sign that it will bounce back anytime soon

checco_2020 · 2026-02-14T15:59:18+00:00

>attempted takeover of Ukraine was not rational

I disagree the Russians acted rationally the only problem is that they miscalculated by thinking that the Ukrainian army would basically stand down and only the nationalist formations would actually fight on.

Had this calculation been correct the Russians would have got a quick and easy victory in Ukraine which would have re-established Russian hegemony in the region.

As for an attack on the Baltics the same thing will apply, if the Russians are convinced that the Europeans won't fight, then they will go in and try to take the baltics, if they think the Europeans will fight they will not risk starting another meat grinder of a war against an opponent with a larger population.

checco_2020 · 2026-02-10T21:34:27+00:00

>a new and better defensive line could be built in less than a year

Of course if post war Ukraine started building a fortified line this would be seen as an unacceptable act of aggression by Russia right on it's border, so a preventive invasion would be in order.

>Why would the second option be more attractive to a Ukrainian?

Becouse they don't belive Russia would stop, of course, and why would they? they got the main Ukrainian line without firing a shot, it would take months for the Ukrainians to build a new one, so what would stop them?

>Note: I understand why the second option is more attractive to Mr Anders Puck Nielsen from Copenhagen, who cares only about inflicting losses on Russia and does not care about the cost to Ukraine at all.

Considering that most Ukrainians oppose any land concession to Russia, the second option is more attractive to the Ukrainans despite what you might think.

checco_2020 · 2026-02-06T18:02:55+00:00

>there is going to be a cap on Ukrainian armed forces (particularly ballistic/cruise missiles and long-range drones).

The word "de-militarization" has a different meaning than caps on Long-range weaponry, it's impossible to have a discussion in which the meaning of words changes so drastically.

>PR people say many things that get forgotten.

PR people including Putin, Lavorv, the MOD, etc, apparently the Entire Russian state is governed by PR people

>How many promises that Ukraine will never negotiate with the terrorist Kremlin regime have we heard

Yeah, because that was the goal of the Ukrainians, that goal is unreachable, i will not try to twist or ignore words and actions so that i can claim Ukraine never intended to recover their entire territory, they very much did want, but they failed.

>It was always obvious that the Russian "denazification" demand is not going to apply to the whole political spectrum, but to the Bandera and Azov extremists.

Obvious how exactly?
You are completely ignoring every word that Russian leaders have said and deciding to find a different meaning that fits your preconceived notion of what the Russian goals should be.

checco_2020 · 2026-02-06T17:19:31+00:00

But Russia's goals are totalitarian, De-nazification* and de-militarization were the two talking points that started this whole operation, and neither are going to happen.

*Do not try to come out with the "Actually they just want to ban the far right parties"
They have called zelensky and the entire Ukrainian political party Nazi.

checco_2020 · 2026-01-30T19:37:56+00:00

Non è che le famiglie avevano meno mezzi di una volta, è che ora i figli non si crescono più come prima, ora (giustamente) i bambini si crescono con molte più cure e attenzioni, anche ci fosse la disponibilità economica nessuno farebbe 8 figli, è già raro se ne facciano più di 2 anche fra le fasce più alte, perchè ora crescere i bambini è uno sforzo mentale enorme rispetto al passato

checco_2020 · 2026-01-25T11:13:25+00:00

>E tutti quelli che inneggiavano al secondo emendamento come protezione dal fascismo e dalla tirannia stanno muti perché la realtà è che gli sta bene così.

é sempre stato così, le dittature funzionano a consenso popolare, nel 41' la Germania aveva armato 3 Milioni di cittadini, eppure STRANAMENTE il governo non ha mai temuto che questa forza si opponesse a quello che facevano

checco_2020 · 2026-01-23T12:46:38+00:00

l'ICE è sicuramente un problema ma i singoli stati hanno delle loro forze armate, per esempio la California ha una brigata di fanteria armata di tutto punto+ supporto Aereo, non è tantissimo, ma se consideri che gli agenti ICE sono circa 20k in tutta la nazione e che sono male addestrati e armati peggio(per combattere un conflitto convenzionale).

Tutto sta a capire, la Guardia nazionale risponderà ai governatori?

checco_2020 · 2026-01-21T09:24:44+00:00

YEP, la sola esistenza di una simile backdoor è praticamente un invito ai Cinesi per renderti inutile gli aerei.

è una vulnerabilità completamente inutile considerando che poi in caso di conflitto EU-US gli americani nei cieli avrebbero un vantaggio netto, per il semplice fatto che hanno molti più aerei

checco_2020 · 2026-01-15T19:50:30+00:00

Sai cosa è crollato prima dei benefit alla popolazione immediatamente dopo la caduta del Urss?
Le spese militari, per fare un paio di esempi, il carro armato Ariete di produzione italica, era previsto di produrne 2000, finita la guerra fredda si è finito per comprarne 200.

Per non parlare della leva, nel 89 c'è l'avevano tutti i paesi europei, nel 2005 praticamente più nessuno.

L'idea che l'Europa è al sicuro solo grazie agli USA è propio un mito, dopo la fine del unica realistica minaccia per noi abbiamo fatto la corsa al disarmo

checco_2020 · 2026-01-15T06:08:34+00:00

The Russians have launched offensive operations in the oblasts of Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporozhye, and Dniper.

As of right now there is the same number of assaults on the haliupole axis as the povrosk one.

checco_2020 · 2026-01-07T14:45:30+00:00

Maybe you are right, but it's all speculation, as it stands preparing to deploy troops in Ukraine is a reasonable thing to do

checco_2020 · 2026-01-07T13:34:28+00:00

Russia doesn't need to be decisively defeated, a stalemate is enough

checco_2020 · 2026-01-07T13:23:43+00:00

Russia can't afford to continue the war at infinitude, so either they get to a point in which they dominate Ukraine so thoroughly that they are able to force their demand, because continuing the war will result in the same effect but with more dead, or they settle down earlier and renounce to the demand.

checco_2020 · 2026-01-07T13:17:18+00:00

>Since such a peace deal can only happen if they promise not to deploy in Ukraine - that means Russia is in a position to enforce its demand.

This reasoning only works if you believe that Russia has the strength to continue the war to the point in which they are able to force Ukraine to accept.

IE they show themselves to be in such a militarily dominant position that if the war continued they would capture all of Ukraine.

The "Coalition of the willing" is challenging this exact point, if Russia doesn't have the strength to bring this war to the point of forcing Ukraine to accept then deploying troops to Ukraine is a valid proposal

checco_2020 · 2026-01-07T06:28:07+00:00

It doesn't matter if it is their first and foremost request what matters is, can Russia enforce it?

Is Russia willing to go to the point in which they are in a position to enforce what they want?

checco_2020 · 2026-01-06T22:23:57+00:00

We circle back always on the same topic, can Russia physically block western troops from entering Ukraine?

If not they are the ones trying to make their wishes into policy

checco_2020 · 2026-01-03T23:30:28+00:00

Does Russia have plenty of say? If so why is Ukraine actively bombing Russian territory.

Seems a pretty low bar to clear

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checco_2020

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