RE: Russian lawmakers authorize Putin to use military force outside the country, Part II
06-29-2023, 06:56 PM
06-29-2023, 06:56 PM
What a fun little mess that was, and it's too bad it wasn't a bigger mess for Muscovy. It was such a short coup that it didn't seem to have any affect on the front lines, where the counteroffensive is still progressing. Prigozhin himself escaped with the help of his long-time buddy in Belarus, Lukashenko, and only a handful of folks were killed.
One thing that happens is that this really weakens Putin. Living in a country that had a coup attempt a couple years back, the obvious thing is that it's kind of embarrassing for the government. But America has deep wells of legitimacy because it's a republic, and Russia just doesn't. The biggest thing of being a strongman is appearing strong, which Putin now doesn't. We had a coup where no one cared to join it, but also no one cared to stop for nearly 1000km trek up towards Moscow. That state security force just didn't show up at all. And worst of all, Putin's vassal Lukashenko got to take credit for saving Russia.
-- Wagners are now no longer allowed to operate in Ukraine
-- With departure of Wagners, Russian Army is now the world's second strongest army in Ukraine
-- Russia declares "backsies" on agreement not to prosecute Prigozhin
-- Russian Army General Sergei Surovikin allegedly knew of Prigozhin's coup plans, has not been seen in public for the past week
-- Search parties out looking for him below tall buildings and bridges
-- FSO finally shows up, and begins a purge of the Russian Army top brass, which will definitely hamper their war efforts
-- Lukashenko boasts of how much he helped, how no one in Russia could do anything to stop it, but he stepped in and saved Russia single-handedly.
-- Putin is viewing those boasts as a personal humiliation
-- Russian propagandists not quite sure what they can say about the whole affair
-- Putin makes an actual appearance in public to meet with real people, which says how bad this whole thing got
-- Russian ambassador calls Australia ‘vindictive’ after dead possum thrown over embassy fence
-- Russian missiles kill eleven in a pizza parlor in Kramatorsk
-- Wagner PMC is getting a free, formerly-abandoned military base in Belarus
-- Russian state tries to assert control over Wagner forces in Africa
-- I really think Lukashenko is using Wagner and Prigozhin as a way to keep more independence from Russia, or as a bargaining chip in the worst case.
-- At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, 5 reactors are in cold shutdown, and one is in warm shutdown.
-- Honestly after the dam incident, do you honestly believe that Russia won't blow this up too? Almost every time they make a decision, they make the wrong one.
-- Hungary delays vote on Sweden in NATO again, after another group of morons burn a Koran in Sweden
-- Orban in Hungary says that Ukraine has no claim to sovereignty after taking Western weapons, and considering its history it's basically a part of Russia
-- Hungary has no claim to sovereignty, and considering its history it's basically a part of Austria
-- Ukraine will not hold elections until an armistice is in place, which makes sense when the enemy likes to target gatherings of civilians
-- The counteroffensive is still going. Defensive positions are being captured. These things tend to go slow, then collapse all at once.
Meanwhile, in an alternate universe:
![[Image: pbc8wcp23w7b1.png]](https://i.redd.it/pbc8wcp23w7b1.png)
One thing that happens is that this really weakens Putin. Living in a country that had a coup attempt a couple years back, the obvious thing is that it's kind of embarrassing for the government. But America has deep wells of legitimacy because it's a republic, and Russia just doesn't. The biggest thing of being a strongman is appearing strong, which Putin now doesn't. We had a coup where no one cared to join it, but also no one cared to stop for nearly 1000km trek up towards Moscow. That state security force just didn't show up at all. And worst of all, Putin's vassal Lukashenko got to take credit for saving Russia.
-- Wagners are now no longer allowed to operate in Ukraine
-- With departure of Wagners, Russian Army is now the world's second strongest army in Ukraine
-- Russia declares "backsies" on agreement not to prosecute Prigozhin
-- Russian Army General Sergei Surovikin allegedly knew of Prigozhin's coup plans, has not been seen in public for the past week
-- Search parties out looking for him below tall buildings and bridges
-- FSO finally shows up, and begins a purge of the Russian Army top brass, which will definitely hamper their war efforts
-- Lukashenko boasts of how much he helped, how no one in Russia could do anything to stop it, but he stepped in and saved Russia single-handedly.
-- Putin is viewing those boasts as a personal humiliation
-- Russian propagandists not quite sure what they can say about the whole affair
-- Putin makes an actual appearance in public to meet with real people, which says how bad this whole thing got
-- Russian ambassador calls Australia ‘vindictive’ after dead possum thrown over embassy fence
-- Russian missiles kill eleven in a pizza parlor in Kramatorsk
-- Wagner PMC is getting a free, formerly-abandoned military base in Belarus
-- Russian state tries to assert control over Wagner forces in Africa
-- I really think Lukashenko is using Wagner and Prigozhin as a way to keep more independence from Russia, or as a bargaining chip in the worst case.
-- At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, 5 reactors are in cold shutdown, and one is in warm shutdown.
-- Honestly after the dam incident, do you honestly believe that Russia won't blow this up too? Almost every time they make a decision, they make the wrong one.
-- Hungary delays vote on Sweden in NATO again, after another group of morons burn a Koran in Sweden
-- Orban in Hungary says that Ukraine has no claim to sovereignty after taking Western weapons, and considering its history it's basically a part of Russia
-- Hungary has no claim to sovereignty, and considering its history it's basically a part of Austria
-- Ukraine will not hold elections until an armistice is in place, which makes sense when the enemy likes to target gatherings of civilians
-- The counteroffensive is still going. Defensive positions are being captured. These things tend to go slow, then collapse all at once.
Meanwhile, in an alternate universe:
"Kitto daijoubu da yo." - Sakura Kinomoto