Russia & Ukraine

[BigWayne]

This is very interesting. I don’t recall much about Belarus, except that I used to see it called Belorussia and always wondered what differentiated it from Russia. I took Russian history in ninth grade, but don’t recall much discussion of Belarus (or Ukraine for that matter). It was all Russian history, wars, Greats, Terribles, Rasputin, warm water ports, Crimea, Soviet history, Baltic republics, Glastnost. Yeltsin was a known political figure, but he wasn’t yet president of Russia.

I never took Russian history, but my brother's college level Russian history textbook was the only textbook I ever read for a course I did not take.
The Muscovites have a long history of conquering surrounding regions to shield themselves from the rest of the world.
They periodically would grow and shrink the buffer zones around them over the centuries as their military strength would allow. Belarus was one the many regions subjugated into the Soviet Union, but had been under Russian (Moscow) control since 1795. Putin is just trying to do what they have always done in Moscow, expand the empire as much as they can get away with.

Like Ukraine, Belarus was important to Russia as an agricultural area. My grandfather and his parents emigrated from Belarus in 1912. They came from a town NW of Minsk whose name translates to "wheat field" because most everyone there were peasant farmers.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country has started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, some of which he said were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/belarus-s...053816947.html

A "tactical" nuke that is three times more powerful than Fat Man and Little Boy?

ThatWord.jpg

[Phredd3]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/belarus-s...053816947.html

A "tactical" nuke that is three times more powerful than Fat Man and Little Boy?

ThatWord.jpg

Nukes are neither tactical nor strategic in scale. They are geopolitical.

[budwom]

yeah, something of an oxymoronic term.

[JasonEvans]

yeah, something of an oxymoronic term.

Lukashenko and moronic absolutely should be alongside each other in this conversation.

[wavedukefan70s]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/belarus-s...053816947.html

A "tactical" nuke that is three times more powerful than Fat Man and Little Boy?

ThatWord.jpg

I believe those were 12 and or 21 kt.
Personally I don't consider that tactical .

[CameronBornAndBred]

I believe those were 12 and or 21 kt.
Personally I don't consider that tactical .

Nobody does.

[BigWayne]

I believe those were 12 and or 21 kt.
Personally I don't consider that tactical .

In the case of nuclear weapons, tactical does not mean what it does when used in any other context, which is a bad thing as it paints an inaccurate picture.
In the nuclear case, it is just a classification of weapons that are just simply less devastating than their larger sibling "strategic" weapons.
A more accurate classification would be to call smaller nukes "nuclear weapons" and call the bigger ones supernuclear weapons.

[CameronBornAndBred]

In the case of nuclear weapons, tactical does not mean what it does when used in any other context, which is a bad thing as it paints an inaccurate picture.
In the nuclear case, it is just a classification of weapons that are just simply less devastating than their larger sibling "strategic" weapons.
A more accurate classification would be to call smaller nukes "nuclear weapons" and call the bigger ones supernuclear weapons.

Right. A "tactical" nuke would be used to wipe out a consolidated position of the opponent, such as a bunker system. The horrible theory is that such a weapon would be more forgivable than a standard weapon that would take out a city.

Neither bombs dropped on Japan were tactical, and certainly nothing that is three times as large would fit that bill.

[budwom]

Right. A "tactical" nuke would be used to wipe out a consolidated position of the opponent, such as a bunker system. The horrible theory is that such a weapon would be more forgivable than a standard weapon that would take out a city.

Neither bombs dropped on Japan were tactical, and certainly nothing that is three times as large would fit that bill.

Hiroshima bomb was on the order of 15 kilotons; there are a lot of tactical nukes which are well under one kiloton, which makes sense (sort of).

[BigWayne]

moscow-claims-us-plans-to-drop-mosquitos-with-malaria-onto-troops

[CameronBornAndBred]

moscow-claims-us-plans-to-drop-mosquitos-with-malaria-onto-troops

Tactical skeeters

[wavedukefan70s]

moscow-claims-us-plans-to-drop-mosquitos-with-malaria-onto-troops

Just doesn't make sense considering they fairly heavily clothed. Even the Asian tiger mosquito can't go through thick fabric .
Plus I'm sure we have better bio weapons at our disposal that we have engineered .
I'd think we/or anyone would be wary of unleashing Any bio engineered weapon after the lastCouple of years dealing with covid.No one wants that plaque on thier wall.
At some point someone is going to have to push a peace deal with this thing.
The sooner the better.

[aimo]

moscow-claims-us-plans-to-drop-mosquitos-with-malaria-onto-troops

Does this mean that RUSSIA is actually planning to do this and they are just once again laying the groundwork for blame when it happens???

[jv001]

Tactical skeeters

Yeh, smart too. The skeeters won't bite the Ukraine soldiers, just the Russians.

[camion]

Yeh, smart too. The skeeters won't bite the Ukraine soldiers, just the Russians.

Attracted to the smell of vodka.

[BigWayne]

Just doesn't make sense considering they fairly heavily clothed. Even the Asian tiger mosquito can't go through thick fabric .
Plus I'm sure we have better bio weapons at our disposal that we have engineered .
I'd think we/or anyone would be wary of unleashing Any bio engineered weapon after the lastCouple of years dealing with covid.No one wants that plaque on thier wall.
At some point someone is going to have to push a peace deal with this thing.
The sooner the better.

Who said anything Putin says has to make sense?

Not sure how you would breed a bunch of infected mosquitos anyway. Don't you have to have malaria infected humans or mammals for them to bite on?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Who said anything Putin says has to make sense?

Not sure how you would breed a bunch of infected mosquitos anyway. Don't you have to have malaria infected humans or mammals for them to bite on?

Maybe 3D chess to have Ukraine vaccinate their soldiers against malaria? Doesn't the vaccine have some wacky side effects?

(I don't really believe this, just wonder what the play is - there is a readily available vaccine...)

[wavedukefan70s]

Who said anything Putin says has to make sense?

Not sure how you would breed a bunch of infected mosquitos anyway. Don't you have to have malaria infected humans or mammals for them to bite on?

I would think but I'm sure it's been tried .breeding is easy .infecting them I suppose your are correct of having a host that is infected. Probably would be better of covering infected rats with fleas .

[PackMan97]

The interwebs are awash with reports if goings on in Moscow. There appears to be some internal disagreements about how things are being managed.

We will see if anonymous Twitter and reddit sources can scope traditional media. If things are going down, remember you heard it from me first. If not, just ignore me as a deranged NC State fan.