O-Trap;1571476 wrote:I seriously hope whoever thinks this is news gets a minor injury today. I'm tired of celebrity gossip being covered by any news source that considers itself respectable. TMZ and such ... sure. That's what they cover. But the other outlets ought to be ashamed of themselves if they're covering this kind of thing.

[video=youtube;GH68bSJXGE8][/video]

SportsAndLady;1571478 wrote:[video=youtube;GH68bSJXGE8][/video]

Interrupting a discussion about the NSA to cover Justin Beiber???? The fuck is this???

SportsAndLady;1571011 wrote:^have you been keeping up with this story at all?

Yes.

SportsAndLady;1571011 wrote:The American media won't air this story, so it's easy to see how one could look at a citizen throwing a molotov cocktail at a police officer and think they are bad people, but try reading up on what the Ukrainian government is doing to their people, then let us know if you still don't say "fuck the police".

The story is out there. Just not a lot of interest in the US. Many Americans would be stunned to know that the Ukraine is an independent nation and not a machine that lifts things.

The guy that became president after the last revolution less than a decade ago (a man physically scarred by poison meant to kill him by political opposition) was run out of office a few years back when he could not even get double digit support. But who knows because Ukrainian politics is rife with corruption. Just saying a lot of chaos in that country.

The Ukraine has a large ethnic Russian minority. Then you have Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet. Russia has natural gas and knows how to use it. What you have here is a conflict between the people of Ukraine and Western and Russian national interests. Many want closer ties to NATO and Europe. Others want closer ties to Russia. The current president is ethnic Russian and is pushing closer ties with Russia.

My sympathies would lie with the opposition. This current crop of "protesters" lack leadership and organization. Throwing petrol bombs against the police or military that is not acting with lethal force is foolish. They look like rioters at this point.

Have they blown up any Vodka factories yet? ...if not I'm more concerned with what's happening with Bieber.

Yeah, but did you guys see the Richard Sherman interview?

O-Trap;1571483 wrote:
Interrupting a discussion about the NSA to cover Justin Beiber???? The fuck is this???

America.

Honestly, this is just an example of how $$$ and free market competition being the absolute best answer is not always enough. News reports what will bring in the most hits viewer wise. Unfortunately, more of America would rather read/hear about Bieber egging a house or doing drugs than hearing about meaningful news.

Money can't be the only motivating factor in life and/or business. There has to be certain moral/ethical/professional standards to help keep anything on the right track. And our news media has left those standards and is solely competing for the views for advertisement revenue.

^^^ IMO this has less to do with free markets rather than declining American standards and expectations of education. When you have an educational system that perpetuates that 'everyone is a winner' and 'competition is unhealthy' - you get what we have, letting the inmates run the asylum and our 24/7 media catering to stories about the Kardashians, Bieber and Richard Sherman (which is one of the nuttiest media blitzes in my life - that should have been a 5 minute 'let's laugh about it' and let it go).

The very good, but flawed, movie "Idiocracy" did a fantastic job of lampooning this attitude, where tv shows like "Ow my balls" are ratings kings. But back to free markets, in most developing nations as they've allowed more information their citizenry has become more aware.

Well shit, when this was first happening I dont know if we expected this to happen.
A live blog states: Russia's Black Sea Fleet has told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 5 a.m. on Tuesday or face a military assault, Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry as saying. The ultimatum, Interfax said, was issued by Alexander Vitko, the fleet's commander.

Shit could get real interesting, real quick.

I think those old school OD green Russian uniforms look kinda cool, and shitty, all in the same instance

I feel like I need cliffnotes for all of this.

WebFire;1586503 wrote:I feel like I need cliffnotes for all of this.

From what I gather, and someone please correct me if I am wrong.
1. The uprisings basically forced our the pro russian leadership in the country.
2. New leadership is more pro west and europe.
3. Russian of course doesnt like the leadership of this democratic nation to be pro west/europe.
3.5. Depending what part of the country you are in, there are areas pro west/europ and some pro russia.
4. Russian sending in troops to the Crimea region and taking it over and threatening to take over more.

and now apparently threatening force if they dont surrender.

The olympics served as a pretty good cover to help get troops mobilized and such it seems!@

thavoice;1586506 wrote:From what I gather, and someone please correct me if I am wrong.
1. The uprisings basically forced our the pro russian leadership in the country.
2. New leadership is more pro west and europe.
3. Russian of course doesnt like the leadership of this democratic nation to be pro west/europe.
3.5. Depending what part of the country you are in, there are areas pro west/europ and some pro russia.
4. Russian sending in troops to the Crimea region and taking it over and threatening to take over more.

Also Russia has a hardon for a warm water port, which they'd get with control over Crimea.

gorocks99;1586509 wrote:Also Russia has a hardon for a warm water port, which they'd get with control over Crimea.

True. They dont have any warm weather ports, and it is a way to connect even further down south. They have been paying Ukraine/Crimea area tons of money to be stationed there for quite a long time.
I think Putin knows that the US is war weary to do anything with our military, and most other countries wont do much without us, although France did a bang up job in Lybia I think it was not too long ago.
I dont think anyone will stand up to Putin. Threats will be made, troops moved into place. I assume we still have navy ships in the region from the olympics.

It will be a huge game of who will blink first.

Russia's got a warm weather port in Kaliningrad (that weird slither of land not connected to Russia between Lithuania and Poland) that houses their Baltic fleet. Crimea houses their Black Sea fleet which provides Russia direct access to the Mediterranean. The Ukraine is allowing Russia to keep its fleet their until 2042 under a deal committed in 2010

This map illustrates the basic divide between pro Ukrainians and pro Russians in the country (the political allegiance match is almost the same)



CNN has a couple decent links that gives a brief overview of what is happening

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2014/02/world/ukraine-divided/?iid=article_sidebar

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/01/world/europe/russia-ukraine-3-things/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/01/world/europe/ukraine-protests-explainer/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/world/europe/ukraine-crimea-5-things/

The Ukraine's Head of Navy has surrendered. Reports from Ukraine are that he will be tried fro treason.

Meanwhile, Putin overseeing a very public display or war games in St Petersburg.

Russia won't do anything. Obama double dog dared Putin to do something over the phone while wearing his mom jeans. Russia is scared now.

Mohican00;1586519 wrote:Russia's got a warm weather port in Kaliningrad (that weird slither of land not connected to Russia between Lithuania and Poland) that houses their Baltic fleet. Crimea houses their Black Sea fleet which provides Russia direct access to the Mediterranean. The Ukraine is allowing Russia to keep its fleet their until 2042 under a deal committed in 2010

This map illustrates the basic divide between pro Ukrainians and pro Russians in the country (the political allegiance match is almost the same)



CNN has a couple decent links that gives a brief overview of what is happening

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2014/02/world/ukraine-divided/?iid=article_sidebar

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/01/world/europe/russia-ukraine-3-things/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/01/world/europe/ukraine-protests-explainer/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/world/europe/ukraine-crimea-5-things/

Good info. I was just going off what I had heard on the news this weekend.

Con_Alma;1586525 wrote:The Ukraine's Head of Navy has surrendered. Reports from Ukraine are that he will be tried fro treason.

Meanwhile, Putin overseeing a very public display or war games in St Petersburg.

I imagine there will be alot of this happening in the Ukraine. Alot of people apparently still consider themselves russians and side more with them.

TedSheckler;1586526 wrote:Russia won't do anything. Obama double dog dared Putin do do anything over the phone while wearing his mom jeans. Russia is scared now.

I agree. I dont think anything really is going to happen, but makes from some interesting news.

And meanwhile.....NK takes this time to fire missiles in the last few days

Remember when everyone was circlejerking Putin for his letter against US involvement in Syria? Guess he changed his mind on that subject. Or not seeing as Russia had already invaded Georgia in the recent past and had no room to talk about restraint to begin with.

Looking at the map above, wouldn't it make sense for Ukraine to peacefully split in to two countries?

justincredible;1586540 wrote:Looking at the map above, wouldn't it make sense for Ukraine to peacefully split in to two countries?

You make it sound so easy.

ernest_t_bass;1586544 wrote:You make it sound so easy.

Obviously it wouldn't be easy. I'd just rather us stay away from WWIII.

justincredible;1586545 wrote:Obviously it wouldn't be easy. I'd just rather us stay away from WWIII.

Maybe if they all just drove Subaru Outbacks, they'd all get along much better!

ernest_t_bass;1586546 wrote:Maybe if they all just drove Subaru Outbacks, they'd all get along much better!

Okay.