Category: Around the world

If NATO wants to avoid direct conflict with Russia, assistance to Ukraine must expand

On By daevadIn Around the world, In the news, Musings, War

Ukraine does not have the population that would be required to survive and win a protracted war of attrition defending itself from Russian aggression. Ukraine’s success in this conflict depends on being able to significantly outperform Putin’s forces. Ukraine’s allies need to stop dithering about which weapons systems can be used. Ukraine’s military needs more training, more ammunition, and more heavy and/or longer-range equipment. If that means ramping up production, then so be it.

Poland, the Baltic states, and other Russian border states understand all too well what is at stake. Failure to defeat Russia in Ukraine will automatically raise the threat level from Putin’s megalomania. The Putin contagion must be eliminated now before it has a chance to spread.

Russia terrorism expands

On By daevadIn Around the world, In the news, Musings, Suggested viewing, War

Let’s start with this recent report:

Russia’s actions in the war they started with Ukraine have no limits. There is no line they won’t cross, there is no action too appalling, no atrocity off-limits. This isn’t state-sponsored terrorism, this is state perpetrated terrorism. There is no attempt at a fig leaf of plausible deniability. The fact is that Russian propagandists openly acknowledge the terrorism and call for more, including wiping France, The U.K., and Germany off the map with nuclear weapons.

NATO and many other countries are providing aid to Ukraine, and the more the better. However, at some point NATO needs to draw a line re Moscow’s attempt at slow-motion genocide in Ukraine. Russian success in Ukraine will only lead to further adventures in the rest of the former Soviet states. This needs to be stopped sooner rather than later.

More proof that sports are run by jerks and assholes

On By daevadIn #WTF?, Around the world, In the news, Suggested reading

So the headline reads as follows:

Norwegian women’s beach handball team fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms

Here’s the sexist stuff that oozes out:

the EHF’s regulations require players to wear bikini bottoms when they are competing.

“Women should wear a bikini where the top should be a tight-fitting sports bra with deep openings at the arms. The bottom must not be more than ten centimeters on the sides,” the regulations state.

In comparison, the regulation for men state that players must wear “tight-fitting tank tops” and shorts that are “not too baggy” and “10 centimeters above the kneecap.”

Like I said, jerks and assholes.

Does this scare you? It sure as hell scares me.

On By daevadIn Around the world, Big Brother, Corporate Bad Behavior, In the news, Musings, Suggested reading

Straight out of a dystopian nightmare!

Canon uses AI cameras that only let smiling workers inside offices.

Next they will use thought detection to only allow people thinking happy thoughts. Luckily for you, they will gladly supply you with drugs to make you think happy thoughts – and you will feel happy about that. Why am I not surprised that this story is based in China?