Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]

@Bratwurst Boy

I grew up around a guy that was a tank battalion commander in the GDR, and a guy that was a regular infantryman there.

Both had nothing but good things to say about their time in Germany.

After things fell apart, the tank commander guy went to visit his old colleagues in 1999. The infantryman travelled with me, together, to visit an old German friend around 2010 in a small village outside Leipzig.

Russians and Germans make good friends. We get each other.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


Imagine you have spent all your life commanding Soviet Army soldiers...

Suddenly you are promoted and sent to Germany.

You are given the Rolls Royce of soldiers (former Prussians) - under your command. Of course you will notice the differences!

These are not just better soldiers than you ever had access to, but maybe the best soldiers in the world. They benefit from 250 years of non stop drill. They are Germans - that fulfill orders to the T.

Of course you will start to hate your own men, and view them as incompetents.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


Nothing is better than a good Russian hat.

But to get such a hat as a kid... privileged little boy you must have been.

--//-

In a similar vein, I read a formerly classified report of a commander of the Soviet Forces in Germany. In it, he discusses the difference between the Soviet and German troops under his command.

This was a most hilarious read.

Most of the time, he spends sh*tting on the Soviet Army and the Soviet soldier specifically. Point by point, explaining how the German soldier is superior.

Understand - this is written by a Soviet commander, and yet he still cannot contain his disgust with his own men. Haha!

1) Germans do not lie nearly to the same extent as our men. If you receive a statement from a German soldier, you can assume that events likely unfolded just as he described. If you receive a statement from a Soviet soldier, you should assume that the truth is the 180 degree opposite.

2) German soldiers display much more individual initiative. They don't need everything to be explained step by step.

3) Germans do not shield each other from investigation and punishment in the same way Soviet soldiers do. It's not considered a honorable to conceal someone's malfeasance.

4) German units have substantially less "missing" pieces of inventory. They don't lose stuff, don't steal it, and try to maintain it in good working condition.

5) German respect to hierarchy, and military officers specifically is supreme. At the same time, a Soviet soldier could routinely punch his commander in the face, or demonstratively avoid duties - even if this lands him in military prison.

6) Germans are much more educated than Soviet soldiers.

7) Germans are much more physically fit. Paradoxically, this still doesn't make them "tougher" than Soviet soldiers. One of the few points where the Soviet commander had something good to say, was about the seemingly infinite capacity of his soldiers to endure suffering. The Germans are still viewed as gentle, and reliant on enablers.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]

In case anyone is interested in reading the tweet:

x.com/egor_avinkin/status/1949592748920590402?s=46

Unfortunately it is all in Russian.

Summary is: guy's grandma and grandpa worked as diplomats in the GDR. He's going through their stuff, and finds this memo.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


It is the German burger speaking!

"What about our shops?!"

Yesterday I was reading a memo which was handed out to Soviet diplomatic personnel in East Germany.

It explains some interesting differences between Russians and Germans, and why the Soviet diplomats have to respect the culture of the locals:

1) Capitalistic development has left a mark on the German psyche. A typical German emerges from amongst the petty bourgeoise. He strongly manifests the character traits of a small time shopkeeper.

2) If the clock strikes 12:00 - the German will drop everything and leave for lunch.

3) Germans do not wear "valenki" (Russian wool boots)

4) Almost all Germans have televisions, washing machines, radios, refrigerators, and gas stoves.

5) Two German phrases are provided to illustrate some points: "Befehl ist Befehl" (an order is an order), "Klein aber Mein" (small, but mine).

6) It is not viewed as polite to arrive at a queue, and ask who is last in line.

7) In the presence of a woman, you only smoke with her permission. In someone's home, you smoke only with the permission of the host. Oddly enough - it says that you cannot light a woman's cigarette with a match, if someone else had already used that match to light up.

8) German children move out of the parental home, once they become adults. Germans may go to each houses for celebrations, give each other gifts, and even plan vacations jointly - but each has his own delineated space. Parents do not interfere in the lives of their children, under any circumstances.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


Right now there are 45K American personnel in Germany.

Earlier this year, if you recall, Trump was contemplating pulling out as many as 20,000 of them. In fact, at some point, he said he wants to pull US forces out of Europe entirely.

45K is a drop in the ocean for a country as rich as Germany.

This is not some Djibouti or Greenland, where a whole country can depend on a military base.

You have almost 85 million people, and a $5T GDP, and you are crying - "Oh, what will we do when US soldiers leave? How will the casinos and strip clubs continue operating? To whom will we now sell our sausages!? Why God!?"

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


Legally - Germany has no binding obligation to keep US forces within its territory indefinitely.

You can kick the Americans out unilaterally, and there's nothing they will be able to do about it. In some instances, you may have to provide a notice ahead of time, or instead simply refuse to renew an agreement when it expires.

Lots of countries have kicked out American forces. The Philippines, Thailand, Libya, Uzbekistan, but most famously... France!

Charles de Gaulle withdrew France from NATO's integrated military command and then demanded all foreign troops leave French soil. And they left.

The US and NATO were forced to relocate all their sh*t to Belgium and West Germany. Even after France rejoined NATO command in 2009 - no US troops returned, and there are none to this day.


Look, despite various recent events, we still live in a world of laws.

There is no circumstance under which Washington is able to just say "no". That would trigger a major diplomatic scandal, and likely cause a wave of backlash among other NATO allies. I bet everyone, from Japan to Bahrain would feel a chill, if they realized they cannot kick the Americans out even if they try.

America is free to pull out all the stops in trying to pressure you to reverse your decision, but it cannot outright refuse to comply. Then that would be what we call an "occupation" - and a major impingement on your sovereignty.

America has a big toolset it can use to "punish" you, of course. If you look at France and Turkey, you can see what America does when somebody begins to act too independently:

1) They start restricting arms sales to your country. Want an F-35? Tough luck.

2) They'll suspend intelligence sharing and any inter-military cooperation.

3) They'll pressure you diplomatically, trying to isolate you, by telling others to avoid doing business with you. They'll use the media to paint you as a freeloader, and your leadership as fundamentally irresponsible.

4) They'll support your opposition parties, giving them an international platform by hosting them in the White House and allowing them to address Congress.

5) They'll cut all your aid and grants - if any such exist.

6) They'll introduce tariffs or tear up trade deals.

7) If they are really angry - they'll start targeting your financial system.

8) If they are really, really, really angry - they'll deploy their whole covert toolset against you. Cyber strikes, psychological operations in social media, and false flags.

That's it! If you can resist all that - YOU CAN BE FREE! That's the maximum extent of what they are capable of.

So if you have the balls to stand up and leave, like De Gaulle, it is possible to do so. People have tried, and survived.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


I think very low.

Maybe 5% of nominal strength.

Tons of systems have been lost, but these guys usually know when they are about to be hit and vacate their stations.

This is for primary defenses, like S-300, Patriot, NASAMs, etc.

For the guys that ride in trucks and fire machine guns at Shaheds - I think the casualty rate is zero.

For the guys that operate Shilkas, Iris-Ts, Gepard's, etc - I think also 5% or so.

They have radars. They know when something is coming that they already failed to intercept.

They just walk to the nearest tree line and watch their equipment explode.

-//-

Bottom line, no one suffers like infantry.

This is why I respect Yuri Butusov, the editor in chief of the Ukrainian nationalist website censor.net.ua

After three years of talking about, he finally enlisted - and enlisted as an infantryman.

He could have chosen anything else, but he decided to become an infantryman. Not even an officer.

Amazing. Hats off to him. Genuinely hope he is not killed.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


There is no data.

Russia made it a state secret after the first few months. Ukraine has kept it secret throughout.

There are articles in the Washington Post, which claimed that Western politicians had "a better idea of Russian losses than Ukrainian ones".

That is, Ukraine does not even share with Washington or Brussels the true extent of their losses.

What I provided was educated conjecture - no more. I think it's in the ballpark, but there's no way we'll know the true numbers for another 10-15 years.

Some future government will release the full details of the losses. In the USSR, we didn't know the true extent of losses in WW2 until the whole thing collapsed and the archives were unsealed. So... 45 years in that case.

Off-Topic / AfD Party is growing ever more powerful throughout country [187]


This is an illogical statement.

It is more correct to say that "a large proportion of the professional and career military" has been attritted.

Even with horrific casualty rates - some portion of personnel survive. Perhaps half or 3/4 - depending on the sector of the front and time of year.

There are several hundred thousand men, that have been fighting for 3 years.

Among the officer corps - maybe up to 90% are still alive. Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels, generals - we lost maybe a few dozen. Junior lieutenants and lieutenants are the ones that die.

Among the rank and file personnel not assigned to assaults - I think there may have been a turnover of 20-40% over the past three years. Still terrifying numbers, especially by NATO standards where a formation suffering 30% attrition is considered to no longer be battle capable.

In the assault formations, the attrition rate can reach 70-90%. If we are talking about convicts and other disposables - then closer to 90%.

These frontline units obviously differ amongst each other as well:

1) Artillery crews - 10-25% attrition (all causes)

2) Armor crews - 20-40% (all causes)

3) Logistics, signals, engineer - 10-30% (all causes)

4) Finally - the salt of the earth - motor riflemen: 25-45%. (all causes)

-//--

Bottom line, even amongst the motor riflemen - I think the casualties over 3 years amount to a maximum of 45% at an aggregate, blended calculation.

Certainly - there have been units which have been completely wiped out. Some units have been wiped out twice-thrice over (e.g. 810th Naval Infantry Brigade). But that's still the exception.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


Goddamn Indians and Pakistanis.

They seem to have no "brakes".

Even Bangladesh - has more people than Russia.

-//--

You should be happy - at least they are native English speakers (at least those that emigrate).

Genealogy / Origins of Polish Genetics [17]


This alone.... should make an intelligent person stop and think.

Either you are allowing Russia to "own" all the bad chapters of your history, and you treat yourself as some newborn babe - innocent to the sins of the world...

or you admit you are as ancient as Russia, but simultaneously take some responsibility.

To listen to them, they were created in 861 AD, and were then rapidly placed into some cryogenic chamber - to be opened only in 1991. Emerging blameless like the Son of God.

Every sin is chalked up to Russia's account.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


Turkey is doing a terrible job at it. Malaysia has a TFR of 1.5 or so.

Our Tatars are also forgetting to reproduce.

It seems even Islam is not impervious to modern pressures on the family.

Just wait for those Sudans and Malis to catch up in development, and they will stop making kids abruptly too.

Genealogy / Origins of Polish Genetics [17]


It's the Volhyn stuff.

Every time you guys get close to some kind of understanding, Volhyn blows things up again.

Ukrainians GENUINELY do not understand you, or your position. To be completely honest - neither did I - until I spent years on this forum.

They really sincerely think that you are "stirring the pot" for no good reason, other than that you know they are weak right now and rely on your help.

They feel you are abusing the leverage, in order to make them admit something terrible which will be forever a stain on their national heroes. This - while they defend you from Russian imperialism with their bodies.

-//-

I even watched an interview where Sikorski and Sonya featured - and it was clear there that Sikorski was shocked at the genuine level of incomprehension he encountered on the subject.

Being a diplomat, he used some very kind interpretation of what was happening.

If Russians are infantile, then Ukrainians are twice as infantile. They think they are some perfect Marvel superheroes, and everyone should kiss their feet. They have no capacity to admit any wrongdoing, because their conception of self is so impossibly fragile.

They are building a Ukrainian national identity with scotch tape and glue... this identity is not yet ready to collide head on with historic events like ethnic cleansings.

You heard it from them - we are Orcs, and they are Elves. Elves are perfect.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


I don't know about Muslims, but I definitely hate Islam.

Stupid religion - designed for children. It cannot provide the same "brain f*ck" as Catholicism or Orthodoxy can.

Genealogy / Origins of Polish Genetics [17]


Sort of a carryover from the other thread (Admin move if necessary), but one of the primary reasons the Ukrainians hate you is because of the Jews.

Polish nobles did not collect taxes from their Ukrainian peasants themselves. Instead they outsourced the job to Jewish "tax farmers". As long as the Jewish tax collector paid the Pan what he was owed, he did not care what sort of depredations the Jew unleashed on the Ukrainians.

At some point - Poles and Jews began to meld in the Ukrainian imagination. It's the origin of the aphorisms like, "Worse than a Jew, can only be a Polish merchant".

In the 1930s and 1940s, Ukrainian fascists ranked their hatreds in the following priority order: "Jews, Poles, Muscovites".

Law / Gun control in Poland: should Polish people be allowed to own guns? - part 2 [54]

Poland will need some level of gun control - in any case. Because you have a country next door, that's full of literally millions of small arms.

Even in America you can't own a fully automatic rifle (in most instances). In Ukraine, you have your pick from the AK-74, the M4 Carbine, the FN SCAR, or FAL - if you are in the market for an assault rifle. It won't set you back more than $700-1000.

Payment is done in cryptocurrency, and then the weapon is dropped off in some inconspicuous bush or inside a drainage pipe - the geolocation of which is shared with you through WhatsApp. Just come with a little suitcase, or some trash bag, so people don't see you walking down the street with an assault rifle.

If you are in the market for something more serious, like a 0.50 cal Barret sniper rifle, or an M60 machine gun - $3,000-5,000.

European law enforcement has already been ringing the alarm bells for years. The borders with Romania and Hungary are especially porous.

Maybe you can't steal a tank, or an armored personnel carrier... but you can definitely steal anything smaller in Ukraine - and no one will ever bother to report it or look for it.

Genealogy / Origins of Polish Genetics [17]


It's what Iron's video says.

Your moms have always lived in Poland. Then some gopniks from the East arrived, killed their husbands, and planted their Orc seed.

• 
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News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


Haha, yes.

I have a Ukrainian friend here in NY, Vladislav, and he is about 195 centimeters tall and weighs about 120 kilograms.

Simultaneously, I have some non-Ukrainian friends who are professional "Ukraine haters".

When they meet Vlad, they suddenly begin to talk in a way I never get to hear from them, when it's just us. Suddenly, their approach to the conflict is very nuanced - and all they talk about is its infinite complexity. Hahaha!

Easy enough to hate each other on the internet, but when they come face to face Russians and Ukrainians are almost always the embodiment of courtesy itself.

Sure, there are videos of some deranged Russian Karen yelling slurs at Ukrainians in the Istanbul airport. Videos of Ukrainian drunks crashing bottles of wine over Russian drunks heads at some football match in Marseille. But it's not representative...

--//--

Here in New York, many Russians I know, attend Ukrainian charity drives, go to the same church, and appoint each other as godparents to their kids.

War is war. Life is life.

Genealogy / Origins of Polish Genetics [17]


Oh boy... now the truth comes out!

Our guys came and raped all the local women, that had been living there since time immemorial.

Good Germanic women, faithful to Wodan, fell to Asiatic barbarians from the swamps and forests of the East. Such shame!

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


You are right - it's universal.

In America, Southerners still hate Northerners. The Middle hates the Coasts, and it all revolves around "who owes who".

The poorer, rural regions feel they "feed" coastal America. The gun loving South, feels they protect the effeminate North, by enlisting in the military disproportionately or actually dealing with the waves of migrants that Northerners can only read about.

In the same way Ukraine expects things from Poland and Czechia for defending them, American Southerners feel they are owed recognition for being hardline on national security and immigration.

Southern Italy hates Northern Italy - for purported abandonment and arrogance. Poland B hates Poland A - for the same reasons. East Germans hate West Germans. Northern Chinese hate Southern Chinese.

People have some deep sensor inside their ass which measures the "fairness" of things.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


In America, the broadcast standard - also known as General American English - is Mid-Western in origin.

All the people on CNN and Fox News talk like they are from Chicago or somewhere in Ohio.

It has practically no "accent", or no "regional" identifiers like a New York or Texan accent would have.

Neutral, sterile, clean.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


No no, there are dozens of dialects. I meant the official three groups within the Russian "family" of peoples.

But Russian dialects are really tame in comparison to English or German ones. Everybody can easily understand each other.

The three main dialects within "Great Russian" Russian, are: (1) Northern, (2) Central, and (3) Southern. Then there are many smaller subdialects: Siberian, Pomorian, Central Asian, Baltic, Caucasus.

The literary and tv broadcast "Golden Standard" of Russian is the Moscow dialect (with some St. Petersburg influence). A lot of people actually find it quite harsh on the ear, or even annoying. Moscow people make high pitched sounds like 16 year old girls, and stretch their "As" to infinity.

The most even sounding Russian, is to my ear at least - the Uralic variety.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


This is the "Great Russian Chauvinist" (as Lenin would call it), or "Imperialist/Nationalist" position (as modern Ukrainians would call it).

Historically (in Imperial times), the Russian "folk" was divided into three groups. Great Russians (current Russians), Little Russians (current Ukrainians), and White Russians (Belarus).

The Ukrainian language was called the "Little Russian dialect", or "Malorosskiy Dialekt". It is actually spoken in a wider area than just modern Ukraine. People also speak a slightly more archaic version of it on the Russian side of the border. In the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov, Krasnodar regions.

So the "High Russian" was called "Great Russian". It was the main language of USSR-level television, radio, film, etc. So, in this way everyone knew it too like High German.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


So Austria then, or Switzerland?

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


Yes we all have a little chip on our shoulder, hehe. On our left shoulder!


I wouldn't say it's "easy". Maybe like for a Prussian to understand a Bavarian at the beginning of the 20th century.

Only 60-70% of the words are the same. The others are borrowed from Polish and other languages, and usually don't make sense to a Russian unless he reads a lot.

Pronunciation-wise there's a huge difference, more than the lexical gap. Ukrainians make a bunch of sounds we don't make, or that sound funny to us.

Also the understanding works differently in either direction. 100% of Ukrainians understand Russian, but maybe only 50-60% of Russians may be able to follow a Ukrainian conversation.

Maybe it's the same in Germany? Where 100% of Bavarians can readily understand Northerners, but only 50-60% of Northerners can easily understand Bavarians?

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]

Just for some more context, for people unfamiliar with Gogol...

The line above is spoken by Taras Bulba, the protagonist of the book, to his son Andriy. Taras Bulba is a grizzled Ukrainian warlord, who symbolizes the Orthodox faith, the Cossack way of life, and eternal resistance to the Polish-Lithuanian Catholic nobility.

Andriy is Taras' good-for-nothing youngest son. Unlike loyal and pious Ostap (the Hector), Andriy is a sh*t for brains that follows the commands of his dick (Paris, to continue the Iliad analogy). He betrayed the Cossacks and joined the Polish side out of love for a Polish noblewoman.

Finally, one day Taras confronts him on the battlefield, and before executing him, delivers this line as a final judgment.

«Ну что, помогли тебе твои ляхи?»

Moral of the story - you can be loyal to Poles, but the Poles will value your loyalty for nothing. Meanwhile, your "bros" will surely come for you - and remember all your Polonophilia.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


Genuine question - what can one discuss with the Virgin during an entire hour, every single day?

I find it hard to talk to my brother or mother for more than 20 minutes every few days. Not because I don't enjoy their company, but because I find that I don't have very much to say. That is - I need more time, for more events to accumulate - so there is then something to discuss.

I'm not Belousov, and I don't have the lives of thousands of men on my conscience - so maybe I don't understand something...


I really wish we had an active Ukrainian poster on this forum. One who could be somewhat objective, instead of just a patriotic bot like the previous two we had.

Anything I write about Ukrainian attitudes towards Poland will be immediately suspect, because of the source...

Nonetheless - I read Ukrainian newspapers daily. Every other evening I tune in to watch their evening talk shows (which frequently feature top officials). Probably around 25% of my Twitter feed is Ukrainian language. I follow several Ukrainian public persons on Facebook.

I can tell you - the feelings are... complex.

1) There is some sense of inadequacy when comparing themselves to Poland.

2) At the same time, this state of being less developed and much poorer than Poland, somehow feels to them as a violation of the natural order of the universe.

3) This inadequacy/shame, leads to a constant search for some kind of justification. "They became rich off our backs," or "The Russians held us back," or "The EU pumped them full of cash".

4) The shame deepens through the low class of work done by Ukrainians in Poland. Drivers, retail clerks, janitors, nannies, etc.

5) Finally shame turns to anger, and then full blown delusions of "Cossackism" (equivalent of Polish Sarmatism or Japanese Samuraism).

6) Poland constantly needling them with the Volhyn Massacres doesn't do any good. Not only are they treated as "the help", they are also being told that they are bloodthirsty apes suffering from historical amnesia. This sends them ballistic with fury.

And in general - the cultural undercurrent in Ukraine, for centuries, was extremely Polonophobic. In Ukraine, the novel Taras Bulba plays the same role, if not larger, as Ogniem i Mieczem plays in Poland. The whole book is one long anti-Polish screed.

The most quoted line from the book, that every single Ukrainian child knows, is "Well, did your Poles help you?".

This line has been quoted 10 million times by Ukrainians over the past two years, as Polish farmers dumped their grain onto highways, truckers blocked the border control points, and governments refused to hand over aging MiG jets.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


In pure mathematical terms - we lost several hundred thousand men, but gained approximately 3-5 million additional citizens.

Through this kind of Satanic math - the war is providing good returns.

Take into account the coal, the metals, the gas, the rare earths - and you could really make an argument that the investment "works".

If you are especially cynical - you could argue that we lost a "lower quality" of material than the Ukrainians. Convicts, chronically unemployed, low education, low income... vs yesterday's "lawyers", "doctors", "film directors", "businessmen", etc.

Their losses are truly irreparable.... ours not so much.


Yes. Prays 5 times a day, like a Muslim. Begins every morning by spending an hour in his private chapel, conversing with the Virgin.

For this reason, many people think he's not "all right" in the head.

News / Why should Poland consider pursuing a strategic alliance with Russia? [396]


Sometimes the person is so bent out of shape, that he cannot climb into the cart. I've seen several such videos.

At this point, several of his friends might reappear from some collection of bushes, toss him into the drone, and then immediately run back for cover.

If it's the second echelon of an attack arriving on a BMP - the BMP might deploy smoke and do a little half circle around the wounded man - obscuring vision - and then try to pick him up fast.

Sometimes nobody comes - and you have to either shoot yourself, or try to crawl back to your lines.

--///--

According to the best estimates, Russia has suffered approximately 1 million casualties in this war thus far. Of that, approximately 110-150K are Killed in Action. A further 250-350K are otherwise irreplaceable losses (amputations, mostly).

But the other half a million suffered superficial or non-incapacitating injuries and were likely returned into action. There are cases where a single infantryman suffered 7 or more injuries, and each time returned to fight.

So "evacuation" does happen - and in large numbers. "Battlefield medicine" exists - and is in much better shape than 2022 (when it was embarrassing to compare our first aid kits to the Western ones Ukraine was provided with).

In fact, Belousov (the new minister of defense), has made "battlefield medicine" an especial priority. Now everyone has top quality tourniquets and clotting agents.

The drones used for evacuating casualties is also his introduction largely.