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Ruark wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 2:56 pm

K.Mooneyham wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 2:44 pm
Without going into details, I will say I attended a briefing the other day given by a USAF officer of reasonably high rank, locally speaking. The most important thing he and the other briefers said was to read many sources and then employ critical thinking skills when evaluating ALL the information. He specifically stated, to paraphrase, to not simply take anything at face value, from any side.

Wow. He's probably been relieved of duty since I read this...............

Ruark wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 2:25 pm I just posted this on a private FB group I'm a member of, and wanted to share it here.

A few words on this Ukrainian mess. As some of you know, my wife immigrated here from Russia 26 years ago. We stay in touch with some of her friends and relatives over there, as well as some of her family members who live in Ukraine. In particular, she has a cousin in Kharkov she talks with "live" on Skype every couple of days, most recently just this morning. So we stay pretty up to date on what's really going on in that part of the world.

Now, the last thing in the world I want to do is type a 100-page "analysis and discussion" on this conflict. Still, I just want to remind everybody that there is a TON of Kool-Aid being passed around, from BOTH sides. Military conflict always sends the media into orgasmic paroxysms; it's the mother and father of all "juicy stories." You know the drill: the cropped photo of the burning building, the closeup of the crying mother, the "on-the-street interviews," etc. A guy firing a gun becomes a "raging street battle." Whatever supports the official narrative.

And of course, politicians delight in war; it's their golden, shining moment to get up in front of the cameras, bask in the floodlights and "talk tough" and pretend to be brave leaders, standing up to the forces of evil and wallowing in imagined self-importance. You will never, NEVER see a more colossal display of politicians' egotistic bloviating than you will during a war situation.

And the latest from Svetlana, our friend in Kharkov? As of this morning, a few distant explosions. Otherwise all is quiet. No tanks in the streets. No "raging street battles." People walking to markets and bus stops. Yes, she is somewhat afraid, not of the Russians, but of violent Ukrainian nationalists.

So, people, don't be, like my mother use to say, "like a blade of grass, swaying back and forth with every puff of wind." See with both eyes; hear with both ears.