[Ukraine] EU: Nice minister, shame if something were to happen...

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > [Ukraine] EU: Nice minister, shame if something were to happen...

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indigi: Jul 20, 2004; ^{how can we not talk about family

when family's all that we got?}

mlmp08 posted:

For the US, buying new items is a smaller expense than paying people wages and benefits, even including expensive things like space assets, airplanes, ships, etc.

given how incompetent they've been the past 20 years that's pretty funny

# ? Dec 2, 2022 19:20

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# ? May 25, 2024 20:00

Lostconfused: Oct 1, 2008

It's funny because it's a lie on which the MIC runs.

Those new things in the budget are cheap now because they don't include the real upkeep post which will keep ballooning as the years go on.

# ? Dec 2, 2022 19:24

Ardennes: May 12, 2002

Lostconfused posted:

PR photo sessions

_{(from t.me/bbbreaking/142576, via tgsa)}

Never to early to angle for the big chair

# ? Dec 2, 2022 19:29

Danann: Aug 4, 2013

https://twitter.com/NAFO_Cringe/status/1597781596450729984

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:07

mawarannahr: May 21, 2019

Maria vague posting with a thesaurus https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1598778272829300736

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:19

Majorian: Jul 1, 2009

mawarannahr posted:

Maria vague posting with a thesaurus https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1598778272829300736

lol, yes, when I think of the U.S., I think of a country that's pushing the green movement super hard. :rolleye:

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:32

Lostconfused: Oct 1, 2008

Majorian posted:

lol, yes, when I think of the U.S., I think of a country that's pushing the green movement super hard.

Typical american thinking the whole world revolves around them. :rolleye:

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:35

Southpaugh: May 26, 2007; Smokey Bacon

Majorian posted:

lol, yes, when I think of the U.S., I think of a country that's pushing the green movement super hard.

thats not what that tweet says.

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:40

Danann: Aug 4, 2013

🇷🇺 Роман Старовойт posted:

[ Album ]
Good news from the DNR! Yesterday Mangush school 2 was opened after major repairs in our municipality's Pervomaisky district. The acting head of the republic Denis Pushilin (https://t.me/pushilindenis) congratulated the residents on this important event, and my deputy Alexey Dedov came to Mangush from our region.

The money was allocated from the federal budget and the process was coordinated by specialists from the Kursk oblast administration. In addition, builders from our region worked at the site.

In school the roof, windows and doors were replaced, the facade was repaired and the adjoining territory was improved. Also works proceeded in the assembly hall, major repairs were made in a food unit and the kitchen equipment was established.

We bought the necessary furniture for the classrooms and equipment for the gym, and installed a sports complex in the territory. The school now has "Smart School" software, which will help ensure security, and the building has been equipped with a firefighting system and panic buttons.

I thank all the citizens of Kursk for their diligent work, responsiveness and support of those who are in dire need right now!

_{(from t.me/gubernator_46/2097, via tgsa)}

There's been a bunch of stuff about stuff in Mariupol getting rebuilt (including recent ones) and roads in Donbass getting repaired. This building getting rebuilt is a school in Donetsk.

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:42

Fat-Lip-Sum-41.mp3: Nov 15, 2003

Majorian posted:

lol, yes, when I think of the U.S., I think of a country that's pushing the green movement super hard.

Green parties are CIA ops used to thwart any policy that might resolve the climate crisis. Everything they actually do makes global warming worse.

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:50

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Danann posted:

https://twitter.com/NAFO_Cringe/status/1597781596450729984

Central Europe will vote all the Nazis back in

# ? Dec 2, 2022 22:51

the bitcoin of weed: Nov 1, 2014

Southpaugh posted:

thats not what that tweet says.

it is really unclear what the tweet says, tbf. is the "unconditional faith of the old world" supposed to be Colonialism

# ? Dec 2, 2022 23:12

Danann: Aug 4, 2013

Военный Осведомитель posted:

FV4333 �Stormer HVM� и Stinger DMS на базе HMMWV на вооружении украинской ПВО в Киеве.

@milinfolive

_{(from t.me/milinfolive/93938, via tgsa)}

nato_aa.jpg

# ? Dec 2, 2022 23:36

OctaMurk: Jun 21, 2013

Danann posted:

_{(from t.me/milinfolive/93938, via tgsa)}

nato_aa.jpg

yo mistral trucks arent a bad choice in nato decks tbh

# ? Dec 2, 2022 23:48

Danann: Aug 4, 2013

Mango Press 🥭🗝 posted:

_{(Click thumbnail to open video)}
🇺🇦 🇷🇺 #TheUkraine #Russia

Incredible video footage of a Drone-To-Drone mid air skirmish.

The larger Russian drone is significantly higher in altitude than the smaller Ukrainian reconnaissance drone, but what appears to be a thermite grenade is dropped from the Russian drone; taking out the Ukrainian drone with incredible precision, and then igniting upon hitting the ground.

🥭 @mangopress

_{(from t.me/mangopress/11615, via tgsa)}

drones are now bombing other drones

# ? Dec 2, 2022 23:53

Cromulent_Chill: Apr 6, 2009

Begun, these Drone Wars have.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 00:01

Raskolnikov38: Mar 3, 2007; We were somewhere around Manila when the drugs began to take hold

i wonder how long until we get 1000 drone raids on trenches with air dropped grenades

# ? Dec 3, 2022 00:11

sube: Nov 7, 2022

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/11/30/secret-agents-trauma-00071223

quote:

Don�t Tell Your Non-Work Friends About the Decapitations

Many people grow up wanting to be secret agents. I fell into the field somewhat by chance � though it turned out I was good at it and advanced quickly. Less than a year into the job, I volunteered to deploy to Iraq, where the U.S. was hunting down terrorists like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and dismantling al Qaeda organizations. I learned how to fire a rifle, ram a car, search my vehicle for bombs and withstand torture.

But one night in the U.S., while sitting down at a restaurant with my non-work friends, I too casually mentioned that suicide bombers tend to decapitate themselves in their attacks. (A suicide vest tends to destroy the neck and send a head sailing.) My friends turned to me with horror and shock. I was reminded that I shouldn�t talk about this part of my life with my �normal� friends.

A portion of U.S. intelligence professionals are in the military, but many are civilians. That doesn�t stop them from serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and a host of other dangerous places. Many, like I did, wear a Kevlar helmet and body armor, carry a loaded weapon and are classified legal combatants. Others watch hours of beheading videos to identify ISIS trademarks, conduct heart-breaking searches for POWs or identify human remains at the sites of terrorist attacks.

In our line of work, being exposed to violent and traumatizing events all day is routine. And then we leave the office to go home to our family. It�s a life that we signed up for, but it doesn�t mean there aren�t real consequences. For too long, the intelligence community has ignored that reality, to the detriment of both its people and the country they serve. Fortunately, there�s still plenty that can be done.

Trauma is defined as actual or threatened death, injury or violence. But there is also secondary trauma � the repeated or extreme indirect exposure to adverse details of a traumatic event during the course of professional duties. The latter has been recognized as a problem in other professions, and in the narrow case of intelligence officers who operate drone aircraft, but is rarely talked about broadly in the intelligence community. When I came back from my deployments, I had one � admittedly pro forma and superficial � required meeting with a psychologist. But no one ever has checked in on me about my feelings on more than a decade of work immersed in violent topics.

The intelligence community doesn�t have a good understanding of how prominent these problems are � particularly the impact of indirect trauma � or how to shift to a more proactive approach to addressing trauma exposure. At RAND, where I now work, we�ve been looking at the risks of lasting trauma on those who do intelligence work. We interviewed middle- and senior-managers from multiple agencies and found that there are some mental health supports available for intelligence professionals, but they appear underutilized and may not be equipped to meet the true scale of the need.

More broadly, the intelligence community lacks a culture of mental wellness. We found there�s a poor understanding of the risks, particularly of secondary trauma, among all levels of staff. That means individuals may fail to recognize the effects of this stress, or they may lack the vocabulary needed to describe their feelings so as to effectively seek care.

Intelligence professionals adhere to a strict code of ethics, which includes remaining neutral when informing policymakers about issues. This makes them party to life-and-death decisions, but without the agency to determine their outcomes. They must defer to policymakers about whether, for example, the U.S. will act to prevent atrocities they anticipate. Missing something, too, can bring on a sense of guilt and blame.

Intelligence professionals can also experience moral injury, a less-understood form of trauma. Moral injury stems from failure to prevent, or bearing witness to, acts that violate their deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. This can happen when intelligence programs overstep their authorities and violate civil freedoms, or even when those in a position of political power fail to protect secrets obtained through great risk and sacrifice.

The intensity of the job can compound damage from trauma exposure. Both deployed and at home, I worked long hours and on rotating shifts � factors that can be more detrimental to mental health than direct combat exposure. Poor management and toxic work environments, which are sadly too common in the intelligence community, can exacerbate the risk.

Stigma is a well-recognized hindrance to seeking mental health care, but intelligence officers may further worry that seeking help � even through official channels � could compromise their security clearance. They are often legally prohibited from talking about their professional experiences with their family and friends, which would typically be an important support network for someone experiencing trauma.

The effects ripple through these agencies, which are vital to U.S. national security. Employees suffer from depression and substance abuse, or reduced productivity and professional burnout. That can prompt unnecessarily high staff turnover, which has higher stakes in a sector where people require costly security clearances and depart with a head full of secrets.

One positive note is that the intelligence community isn�t the first to deal with these problems, it is simply late to doing so. There is a wealth of applicable literature on trauma risks for the military, first responders, journalists and other professionals. But intelligence leaders must be willing to dedicate attention and resources to the problem.

The intelligence community needs to communicate to its workforce about the varied forms of trauma, how it affects individuals and what resources exist to help. And employees won�t seek that help if they fear it will cost them their jobs, so intelligence officials need to ensure policies are clear, available and protect staff appropriately seeking care. Lastly, the community should research how to design and implement programming that will cultivate an environment of mental wellness.

I am luckier than most. My parents are social workers, and I grew up in an environment where feelings, even the dark ones, were seen as healthy. My husband has experienced war; I don�t feel I have to hide my emotional scars from him. As time has passed, I tell myself it has gotten easier. But, in truth, I am just less frequently confronted with reminders of my deployment. I continue to research some of the world�s ugliest problems, and resilience and hardiness are a requirement of the job. But even now I sometimes feel myself approach the fraying edges of my own emotional capacity.

That secret agent job you might have imagined? There are days it is adrenaline-filled and even glamorous. It is also isolating and relentless. It inflicts mental and emotional costs. The consequences of ignoring those can be tragic, either individually or to the nation. Protecting the intelligence workforce can help protect us all.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 00:17

Mr Hootington: Jul 24, 2008; I'M HAVING A HOOT EATING CORNETTE THE LONG WAY

https://twitter.com/0ddette/status/1598811468119646222?t=6-N5nAGSGeO7O8DuDML8BA&s=19

# ? Dec 3, 2022 00:20

Slim Jim Pickens: Jan 16, 2012

sube posted:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/11/30/secret-agents-trauma-00071223

owned lol

# ? Dec 3, 2022 01:13

Calibanibal: Aug 25, 2015

24 days of Zelensky

# ? Dec 3, 2022 01:24

DancingShade: Jul 26, 2007; by Fluffdaddy

sube posted:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/11/30/secret-agents-trauma-00071223

I'm imagining a skinny thin-armed james bond in a $100 tuxedo using a selfie stick to film themselves shooting their first assassination target with a silenced pistol. The bullet strikes true, just like it did on all those training dummies. The target's head explodes like an ripe melon. A little bit of the blood and brain matter sprays on jimmy bond. Panicking they freak out and scream, dropping their selfie stick.

Edit - pee-wee herman, I should have just said that.

DancingShade has issued a correction as of 01:43 on Dec 3, 2022

# ? Dec 3, 2022 01:38

Lostconfused: Oct 1, 2008

Raskolnikov38 posted:

i wonder how long until we get 1000 drone raids on trenches with air dropped grenades

probably not efficient.

You can just do that with 1 drone and a bunch of artillery.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 02:00

Lostconfused: Oct 1, 2008

Slim Jim Pickens posted:

owned lol

# ? Dec 3, 2022 02:03

A Bakers Cousin: Dec 18, 2003; by vyelkin

They didn't teach me in cia school to not bring up gore war stories while out at bars.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 02:17

AnimeIsTrash: Jun 30, 2018

https://twitter.com/sopjap/status/1598565651651891201?cxt=HHwWgsDQjbO_n68sAAAA

# ? Dec 3, 2022 02:47

Throatwarbler: Nov 17, 2008; by vyelkin

Raskolnikov38 posted:

i wonder how long until we get 1000 drone raids on trenches with air dropped grenades

I am 100% certain the Saudis or Emiratis have bought some of those Chinese trucks that launch 50 drones at once. Shouldn't be long before we see their use in marketing materials.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 02:57

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

Throatwarbler posted:

I am 100% certain the Saudis or Emiratis have bought some of those Chinese trucks that launch 50 drones at once. Shouldn't be long before we see their use in marketing materials.

China made Dahir Insaat real?

# ? Dec 3, 2022 03:02

Slavvy: Dec 11, 2012

Throatwarbler posted:

I am 100% certain the Saudis or Emiratis have bought some of those Chinese trucks that launch 50 drones at once. Shouldn't be long before we see their use in marketing materials.

How is that better than just using artillery or rockets though

# ? Dec 3, 2022 03:27

Ardennes: May 12, 2002

Slavvy posted:

How is that better than just using artillery or rockets though

With Ukraine, it seems more common to see isolated soldiers holding positions than larger masses of troops, the switch to drones is about efficiency. HE shells and rockets are cheap but not cheap enough you want to spend an entire barrage on a single dude.

That said, you could say infantry should simply charge him, but they would be taking their own casualties.

-----

Also, the Russian telegramistas is clearly getting impatient with only marginal assaults around Bakhmut rather than grand offensives. In this sense, I think the Russian general staff is doing the right thing, the damage against Ukrainian infrastructure is having an effect,. it seems the frontline has solidified to a great extent in the past. Therefore, it makes more sense to go for attrition such as back during the summer than it is to launch costly assaults for some relatively useless territory. Obviously, there could be more screw ups in the past (Kharkov was a screw up, Kherson was just unviable) but it doesn't really seem grand offensives are going to gain much beside bragging points.

It does raise the question if there is a big push by Ukrainians again what will happen, and if reservists will be committed to hold territory or not.

Ardennes has issued a correction as of 04:02 on Dec 3, 2022

# ? Dec 3, 2022 03:59

supersnowman: Oct 3, 2012

Slavvy posted:

How is that better than just using artillery or rockets though

It's new tech so you can probably scam more money out of the buyers.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:01

Ardennes: May 12, 2002

supersnowman posted:

It's new tech so you can probably scam more money out of the buyers.

A lot of these drones are literally a grenade strapped to something you could buy off of Amazon. It isn't super advanced tech.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:03

Lostconfused: Oct 1, 2008

Ardennes posted:

It does raise the question if there is a big push by Ukrainians again what will happen, and if reservists will be committed to hold territory or not.

The Russians don't think so

https://twitter.com/rybar_en/status/1598687745173774338

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:08

Ardennes: May 12, 2002

Lostconfused posted:

The Russians don't think so

https://twitter.com/rybar_en/status/1598687745173774338

The Ukrainians are going to need something in a few weeks, the glow from Kherson is already fading. It may not be in the south right away, but that is where the sweetest narrative pivot is. It will draw them one way or another.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:13

mlmp08: Jul 11, 2004; Prepare for my priapic projectile's exalted penetration; Nap Ghost

Ardennes posted:

The Ukrainians are going to need something in a few weeks,

Meh, defending may well be the name of the game until Bakhmut is sorted.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:17

Lostconfused: Oct 1, 2008

Ardennes posted:

The Ukrainians are going to need something in a few weeks, the glow from Kherson is already fading. It may not be in the south right away, but that is where the sweetest narrative pivot is. It will draw them one way or another.

The bigger question is probably will the next strike on infrastructure happen, and will Ukraine manage to recover from it.

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:23

Ardennes: May 12, 2002

mlmp08 posted:

Meh, defending may well be the name of the game until Bakhmut is sorted.

To be clear I am not making a "grand cspam prediction," but rather it has made sense that the Ukrainians have regularly pushed for short-term visible victories to keep morale up. Arguably, this hasn't change the strategic picture but they have been better than nothing, for example, the drone strike on the Crimean air-naval training base.

In this case, they are taking pressure in Bakhmut and they may not have the manpower for a major offensive (also the Russians seems to be defending their lines). So either they make an assault in the north that takes something significant, or they go back to drone attacks/truck bombings/assassinations.

Maybe bomb a Moscow night club?

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:25

Homeless Friend: Jul 16, 2007

AnimeIsTrash posted:

https://twitter.com/sopjap/status/1598565651651891201?cxt=HHwWgsDQjbO_n68sAAAA

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:26

i say swears online: Mar 4, 2005

AnimeIsTrash posted:

Soviet era watches remain some of my favorite.

hell yeah

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:33

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# ? May 25, 2024 20:00

crepeface: Nov 5, 2004; r*p*f*c*

Lostconfused posted:

The bigger question is probably will the next strike on infrastructure happen, and will Ukraine manage to recover from it.

yeah some of those channels have murmurings of ~300 cruise missiles being prepped. the biggest strike so far has been with ~90 missiles so i maybe they'll do some kind of massive infrastructure hit at the same time they try to assault/encircle bakhmut

# ? Dec 3, 2022 04:34

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > [Ukraine] EU: Nice minister, shame if something were to happen...

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