Icarus27k

The Russian army as it existed before 2022 is now gone. It's now just a bunch of reservists and lightly trained conscripts. Losing almost your entire regular army in 18 months in a war of choice is pretty bad. (Wagner isn't even the army.)

I suppose that's significant in some way. I find it more significant that the Russians appear to have stopped the Ukrainians from taking back territory on the northern and southern flanks they established around Bakhmut. For no other reason it shows that can actually do something.

I know. It's a poll of a race that is 18 months away, but in AZ-Sen, the Democrat that is NOT Sinema seems to be in an okay position. No matter if it's a two- or three-way contest.

I specifically listened to Kori Schake, AEI expert, predict last October that Ukraine was going to regain all of its territory by summer, and that's clearly not going to happen.

I am very pro-Ukraine but I'm also realist. I have argued with plenty of supporters of Ukraine because they can be irresponsible and delusionally optimistic. For example, anyone who claimed Ukraine was going to win the war by the end of 2022 (a few people) should be ridiculed.

Oh cool, the new list of Americans who are banned from Russia is out.

You can trust the social network with a rat-catching bucket as a promoted sponsor.

I also found myself repeating out loud to no one whenever season 2 would do heavy social commentary. "'Segregation is good'? Is THAT what she just said?" "Did that guy just say, 'meat addict'? And you're going to catch them and rehabilitate them?" I would do this with delight.

Me at the start: Hey look, it's the anime version of that manga I saw everyday while working at a comic shop. I always loved having the books and art around. Me during the first season: I'm loving the fun and kitsch of it all. Sure, some may be weirded out by the sex and violence, but I still think it's fun. It's even relatable and real. Me halfway through the second season: uhhhh, okay. This is now Goodfellas with animals. What the hell, is our protagonist Daredevil now just out of the blue? This is my simplified reaction. Overall, I am loving it.

I agree Willow is a legit thing to criticize Biden and Democrats over. It's an issue, one of those things where governing doesn't meet the promises. But I think it's been explained.

Environmentalists were angered by Biden, but....

A pretty good, nuanced general explanation from a non-profit fact-checking group. "Willow" is the oil-drilling project you are referring to. https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/apr/13/joe-biden-has-approved-more-oil-drilling-why-and-d/

Or it's the legal truth. In any event, the Inflation Reduction Act signed by Biden is the biggest attempt at fighting climate change in decades. If its implementation is managed correctly, it should allow the U.S. to reach its obligations under the Paris climate agreement.

I believe the official line on this was that the law wasn't on the side of the feds stopping this oil drilling project, and progressives don't want to be told a court is going to rule against the government if it tried to stop it.

Ukraine could join ranks of ‘frozen’ conflicts, U.S. officials say How Ukraine could become the next South Korea U.S. officials are planning for the growing possibility that the Russia-Ukraine war will turn into a frozen conflict that lasts many years — perhaps decades — and joins the ranks of similar lengthy face-offs in the Korean peninsula, South Asia and beyond. The options discussed within the Biden administration for a long-term “freeze” include where to set potential lines that Ukraine and Russia would agree not to cross, but which would not have to be official borders. The discussions — while provisional — have taken place across various U.S. agencies and in the White House. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/18/ukraine-russia-south-korea-00097563 This is how I assumed the war would "end" ever since the stalemate settled in over the winter of 2022-23. I compared Ukraine to Germany during the Cold War. Some good news is that changes in Russian politics did cause Germany to reunite even though it took decades.

Also, Democrats are once again over performing 2020 Biden in off year elections. This is a common indicator of where voters are at.