Eastern Europe: Olivier's sphere of influence

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Eastern Europe: Olivier's sphere of influence

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Russian offensive capabilities are extremely limited and they have absolutely no intentions of getting into a shooting war with any European nation. Their military is very badly equipped and trained and ten years ago they couldn't even feed and cloth it properly, due to massive corruption. Just look at how overstretched they were in Georgia and how overstretched they are in eastern Ukraine.

It's all just ridiculous Clancy chat, like Mexico invading the US.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2016 15:15

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 00:54

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Palpek posted:

There's one thing: Polish Minister of Defense's statement about the NATO summit in Warsaw:

What is this talk about a full NATO membership? Is it some conspiracy theory?

# ¿ Mar 13, 2016 11:26

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Friendly Humour posted:

Bit unprofessional of them. I thought Spiegel was a high-quality publication, but that just seems like something a tabloid rag would do.

Honestly I don't even understand what the point of their criticism was. That expert of theirs says too that the images the MOD published were edited but somehow that doesn't prove anything because apparently pictures meant as proof of innocense are often edited for reasons like...?

Spiegel is a reasonably reputable journal, but Spiegel online isn't.

Here is the criticism from the expert:

- Both a manipulated and non manipulated image would have shown photoshop exif data, because photoshop is usually used to crop and compress pictures or add text annotations for publication. It's not an argument that the images were manipulated.

- Error level analysis is not a real forensic tool and more akin to a polygraph test, you can get any result you want. There is too much human interpretation involved.

- It's generally making too many assumptions, like assuming that a dark spot on a blurry image is an oil spot and that it therefore must grow with time.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2016 11:17

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Torquemadras posted:

Sadly, this isn't too surprising. I know the article in question; it basically ignores the contents of your report to make a nebulous statement about the method itself. What their expert said isn't necessarily wrong - in fact, it all makes perfect sense -, but in context with the Bellingcat article, it's clear it's a rather tired attack without actually trying to disprove anything. Instead of confronting your claims, they generally cast doubt on the method used and basically trail off on a question mark. It's loving cowardly.

Well ... yeah. If the method used to do a measurement is flawed, then so is the measurement result. What are you saying exactly?

# ¿ Mar 15, 2016 11:52

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Gantolandon posted:

That reminded me of another hilarious thing.

I reported several pages ago that the current president, Andrzej Duda, almost had a car accident, because the tirein his car fell apart? Some right-wing conspiracy theorists already suggested it was an (another) assassination attempt, that a hired sniper could have shot the wheel. There was a swift investigation and the truth has come out a few days ago.

It turned out that the tire that fell apart mid-ride was not only six-years old, but also already decommissioned. Some idiots in BOR (Government Protection Bureau), however, needed a tire for the presidential armored car right loving now, because Duda wanted to ski. They took the one from the decommissioned parts storage and installed it into the presidential armored car, which was meant to take the president from Wroclaw to Karpacz. Unfortunately, there were a section of the track which was not only quite steep, but full of rocks and ice. No car except the mountain lifeguards' off-road car could drive across. But the driver of the presidential car just floored and went through the rocks on full speed. This is probably when the tire was damaged.

Over a month later, the presidential car were speeding through the highway so fast the ambulance being a part of the convoy couldn't catch up. Low pressure alert was blaring, but the driver ignored it, because the president's delegation was already late. Somehow no one got hurt when the tire inevitably blew up. Had the idiot in the car died, we would have another Smolensk.

Edit: The best thing is that they can't blame PO for that, because they replaced the entire leadership of BOR several months ago.

Sorry, but I just can't contain my schadenfreude. This is so awesome.

You made that turd sandwich, Poland. Now eat it.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2016 15:49

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Elias_Maluco posted:

Found this on google:

http://www.siberrescue.com/huskyed.html

Have no idea if its true since the article itself provides no sources

- Googling for "Apache of the North" returns a single source. It's from some book by a small time writer of historical fiction.

- The Russians started trading and fighting with the Chukchi as soon as they started exploring Siberia, hundred of years ago, long before the Soviet Union existed.

This sounds like someone is confusing a fictional, badly researched story with real history. This happens very often, especially with movies.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 20:01

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Gantolandon posted:

Stupid poo poo done (or in preparation) by PiS, another update.

They are going to support total ban on abortion act, prepared by religious wackos and endorsed by the Episcopate. Terminating pregnancy is not going to be allowed even when the mother' life is in serious danger because of it (like in case of the melanoma, which pregnancy makes much more malignant). Hell, even if the mother needs an unrelated medical intervention that poses a danger to the "unborn child" (like chemotherapy), the doctor authorizing it could risk getting prosecuted.

That's absolutely disgusting. Hope it won't be too much trouble for people to travel to other EU countries for these procedures.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2016 15:52

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

szary posted:

That's going to be made illegal under the proposed act, too

Prison is still better than being dead. Also, they are never gonna find out unless they start inspecting everyone who wants to leave Poland for pregnancy.

Being a woman in this hosed up society can be really terrifying at times. :ohdear:

# ¿ Apr 1, 2016 16:15

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

grate deceiver posted:

I honestly have no idea how anyone watches movies on tv anymore in this tyool of our lord 2016. Unless it's a paid channel specifically for movies (or a public station I guess), it's something like 20min sections interrupted by 10min blocks of commercials. Seems like a weird thing to be upset about in comparison.

Why do you think that they will stop with TV? DVD's, BR's and streaming services can be censored just as easily.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2016 14:16

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

steinrokkan posted:

Two years ago or so there was a TV show called "Dovolená v Protektorátu" (Holiday in The Protectorate) in which a picked family had to live in a house that was period-accurate for WWII, while they had to deal with actors pretending to be the Gestapo and poo poo re-enacting various events like raids and interrogations. Then they were supposed to introspectively reflect upon how it made them feel and share their newly acquired understanding of history with the world.

It was as much of a shitshow farce as you would expect.

Wow, just wow.

Survivor: Nazi Deutschland

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 17:05

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Tevery Best posted:

That's because it's not okay for educated people to hate the Jews, but Roma are hated by all strata equally.

It's OK to hate Roma, because unlike Jews, they are actually bad people. It's not racism, if it's true. :eng99:

# ¿ Apr 8, 2016 11:25

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Pierogi posted:

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma

1. Putin shot down the plane because Kaczynski "played him" in Georgia
2. Tusk shot down the plane to ensure the presidency for Komorowski
3. Macierewicz shot down the plane to ensure the ultimate PiS victory down the line

My money is on numero tres

Its clearly revenge for the sacking of Moscow in 1610.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2016 13:48

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

So, who tried to promote his/her political career by doing that referendum in the Netherlands?

# ¿ Jul 2, 2016 14:36

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

You know how American conservatives are obsessed with an idealized and idyllic image of the 1950's? This is the Polish version of this, isn't it?

# ¿ Jul 5, 2016 08:44

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

A Pale Horse posted:

You don't have to scratch that deep. Here's the ONR burning an effigy of a jew holding a EU flag in the main market square in my city. The EU is also a Jewish plot to undermine national sovereignty and implement white genocide through multiculturalism don't you know.

Thank God that PC culture has not run amok in Poland yet. Free speech still exists in this country.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2016 10:34

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

https://motherboard.vice.com/read/polish-authorities-want-to-question-uk-tor-operator-over-offensive-forum-post

Good luck with that.

That's adorable, I'm totally in favor of old people trying to learn how to work with computers and the internet. :3:

# ¿ Jul 7, 2016 22:51

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

How do you say PiS in Polish? Is it like piizzzzzz? Or more like piss? Why would you give your party a name that sounds so similar to piss?

# ¿ Jul 10, 2016 23:39

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

That's probably the point, the falling out with NATO and the Ukraine crisis massively increased Putin's popularity at home.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2016 11:44

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Poland just got its 3 months notice to stop loving with the rule of law from the commission.

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-2643_en.htm

After the three months the way to EU sanctions will be legally open.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2016 14:21

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Palpek posted:

"OK -- well, he's there in a certain way. But I'm not there. You have Obama there. And frankly, that whole part of the world is a mess under Obama with all the strength that you're talking about and all of the power of NATO and all of this. In the meantime, he's going away. He takes Crimea."

Here is my attempt to parse it:

"Putin is not just in Ukraine, it's more complicated. I wouldn't have gone into Ukraine, like Obama did. Obama turned this whole part of the world into a mess. We are such a strong country and NATO is so powerful, yet Obama still turned it into a mess. And while we're making a mess, Putin just leaves as a winner and is going away. He takes Crimea and leaves Ukraine alone."

These are the ramblings of a lunatic with no public speaking skills and a tenuous grasp of politics. You should not elect this man to the office of POTUS, you would regret it.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2016 16:12

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

chitoryu12 posted:

If Trump actually becomes the president, something has gone seriously wrong with our country.

Queue It's always sunny intro music and "Donald Trump becomes president" title card

# ¿ Aug 9, 2016 22:04

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

OddObserver posted:

It's also like the only thing left of their economy under Lukashenko. And they get to keep the hideous Soviet Belarus flag rather than appropriating the awesome Grand Duchy of Lithuania one, making them kinda Red.

They also make tractors. Huge, beautiful tractors.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2016 20:48

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

anilEhilated posted:

Couldn't make this poo poo up if I tried. What I don't think they mentioned - they staged the whole thing on the anniversary of occupation by Soviets, probably in order to make some kind of connection.
Which is kinda funny given that a lot of the anti-immigrant sentiment is firmly based on Russian propaganda...

quote:

"Until a few Muslims started shouting aggressively and pushing toward the performers, everything was going very peacefully," Mr Konvicka wrote on his Facebook page."

"up until I put my dick into a blender and pressed the power button, everything was totally fine. I dunno what happened :shrug:

"

lmao, this article really made my day. you can get eastern Europe out of eastern Europe, but you can never get the eastern Europe out of eastern Europe. stay classy, eastern Europe.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2016 11:57

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Maybe what they mean is that Obama or Hillary won't be arrested the next time they mention Polish death camps. Cause trying to kidnap POTUS, while he/she is on a visit in Poland, is something that I can totally see PiS doing.

# ¿ Aug 25, 2016 08:22

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

You would be rich if you ever found a way to reliably detect unexploded ordinance from WW2.

Why would you ever want to join some lame death cult, if you could be rich instead?

# ¿ Aug 27, 2016 03:47

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Pizdec posted:

A reminder that Finns are Slavs after all.

Finns are 90% Mongols and Mongols are the ancestors of Native Americans/Puerto Ricans

checks out

# ¿ Sep 16, 2016 13:46

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

These transparent plexiglass ballot boxes are the dumbest thing I've seen in a long time. You can clearly see the ballot and who people voted for inside those things.

They would make a tiny bit of sense if people at least put their ballots into an envelope before they throw them in there.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2016 17:02

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

A Buttery Pastry posted:

Time for Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

Whoa, some hardcore Russophobic warmongering going on here. UN mods?

# ¿ Sep 21, 2016 17:53

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

I may be wrong on this, but I doubt that the BBC is allowed to broadcast in Russia.

# ¿ Oct 17, 2016 15:02

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Also, horses are easily spooked by elephants. Just throwing this out there.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2016 15:44

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Russia is completely withdrawing from the ICC in The Hague. Looks like the court actually doing its job and investigating Russia's involvement in eastern Ukraine and Georgia in 2008 hurt their feelings, so now they don't want to play anymore. Rumor has it that Russian diplomats left an upper-decker in the toilet, when they left.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/16/russia-withdraws-signature-from-iccs-founding-statute/

# ¿ Nov 16, 2016 16:36

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

^^^^^

That's the secret new coal-powered caterpillar propulsion

# ¿ Nov 21, 2016 12:39

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Grouchio posted:

Jokes on you Russkies I'm allergic to wheat? Gimme that good rice Japan!

Russia is also one of the largest producers of buckwheat(which is gluten free). You can not escape Slav grain. Slav grain is life.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2016 09:47

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

cinci zoo sniper posted:

Rice is cheaper, and more common. I haven't seen almost any buckwheat west of Latvia, excluding Slav food stores in western Europe.

Yeah, slav chow shops here in Germany are full of buckwheat, prepared in every way imaginable. It's a staple food for every proper Slav everywhere.

German shops sell it too, but you can only find it in the organic section of larger supermarkets. It's usually imported from the US(lmao at getting anything organic from Russia), expensive and unfried. I don't really like it cause it tastes too fresh and "natural". It also doesn't have a picture of a Soviet tractor on the packaging, so gently caress that. :colbert:

# ¿ Dec 2, 2016 12:23

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

How is the EU going to react to this? It's a pretty big step towards abolishing freedom of assembly completely.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2016 13:41

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

The problem is that if you give the EU the authority to enforce basic human rights like freedom of assembly, they could one day abuse this power to enforce the human rights of brown people.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2016 16:58

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Church is holding mass in all the voting stations, no room for elections, gotta have to cancel them for now

# ¿ Dec 2, 2016 20:39

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

I like how people are already estimating the population of a fantasy city inhabited by fantasy aliens. Any thoughts on their political affiliation and where they land on the Pepsi vs. Coke question?

# ¿ Dec 8, 2016 18:07

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

Watch PiS install an anti-pope

# ¿ Dec 18, 2016 01:50

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 00:54

GABA ghoul: Oct 29, 2011

I thought I'll ask itt, since there are a lot of actually smart and knowledgeable people reading. Can someone recommend a good book on the economy of the USSR during the Brezhnev years? Especially on the economic decay and food insecurity. Preferably something pop-sciency(not exactly academic level, but also slightly above "Everyone poops")

# ¿ Apr 18, 2017 15:57

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