sburke

who the hell authorized Bil's vacation?!

Switching to windows 8 from 7 presented no issues for me. I don't expect to see any with 10, but I am not planning to upgrade anytime soon. Windows 8 runs fine and I have gotten over my initial dislike of some of the features.

Nice, thanks DC. I really love Pete's work on this map.

oh yee of little faith. A few bits of info that have slipped through Kremlin censors. The vehicle is not using APS or ERA. Pfft, paltry low level tech prone to failure. No instead they have have developed bio genetic pools to create Putin DNA based organic armor that is then layered over a lightweight composite frame allowing a super light, but effectively indestructible vehicle. They then proceeded to use the same genetic bioengineering to create a laser weapon based on Putin's eyes that can bore through anything at near limitless distance. So enough of the nay saying US propaganda! To answer the OP the Leopard can not only not penetrate the Armata, when it attempts to the shell will bounce off the Armata directly back destroying the Leopard in turn.

well he has had the opportunity to clean up his act, I mean how hard is it to compare his current pic to this and realize he needs his cap?

I am not sure if the Floydian house is simply slow on the uptake or still trying to sell hats...but I think he was talking about Berlichtingen. Even Alfred E Neuman would be worried about that pic. He obviously can't be referring to my pic, I mean with all that masculine intelligence? A cross between AEN and Putin on top of all that wearing a doody cap? I'm on the cat walk baby, on the cat walk. Heck even these guys didn't have a doody cap. I'm too sexy for this thread...too sexy....

so the line should say Forward he cried from the rear without his doody hat?

Check out post #5 on this thread for one particularly good use of your XO. The thread itself is chockful of really good info. http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119474-c2-information-sharing/

Floydian house hats are not as nice as my doody hat. Hammers belong in my carpentry shop, not on my head.

Well it is the anniversary of D Day so today is just as good for it.

Particularly chapter 8.

Regarding the concept of "softpower", it seems there may be need for some definitions. In reading the Chatham document it appears that Russian perception of the concept may differ from the Western concept significantly. To quote the document. But equating Russian and Western perceptions of soft power is to misunderstand Russian intentions. Russia has adopted the phrase, but applied it to an entirely different set of ideas. 191 As classically understood in the Euro-Atlantic community, soft power deals not with the actual wielding of power or influence by an actor but with the power of attraction. But, as Lavrov’s quid pro quo indicates, Russian minorities are expected to serve as a tool to influence or destabilize the host nation in return. 192 Russia’s approach to its neighbours is incompatible with the application of soft power as it is normally understood in the West. As put by a 2007 study on Russian influence on its neighbours, ‘Russia is primarily successful when influence is bought, taken or stems from dependence. There are, however, no successful positive forces of attraction.’ 193 191 Yelena Osipova, ‘“Russification” of “Soft Power”: Transformation of a Concept’, Exchange Journal of Public Diplomacy, Vol. 5, Fall 2014. 192 Greg Simons, ‘Perception of Russia’s soft power and influence in the Baltic States’, Public Relations Review (2014), http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811114001623. 193 Hedenskog and Larsson, Russian Leverage on the CIS and the Baltic States The conceptual disconnect is exacerbated by the difficulty of translating the phrase in either direction. The Russian phrase used for soft power is myagkaya sila, which carries a meaning much closer to soft force , while explaining the Western notion of soft power in Russian requires much more complex and long-winded phrases. For Russia, therefore, the concept translated here into English as ‘soft power’ includes direct coercion or destabilization by means that are not hard, i.e. short of direct military intervention. 194 So when we encounter references to soft power in Russian statements, rather than being encouraged we should bear in mind the whole range of economic, energy, cyber and other hostile tools at Russia’s disposal. 194 For a detailed examination of how the Russian concept of soft power includes what other states define as hostile influence operations, see Estonian Internal Security Service Annual Review 2012, https://www.kapo.ee/cms-data/_text/138/124/files/kapo-aastaraamat-2012-en.pdf

He has a follow up video to compare to on a real guitar (I feel a sin coming on). It lends credence to the walmart video being real. and yeah he is good.

Hope you don't mind me editing out your response, I wanted to focus on specific items. Stephen Cohen - I respect the intelligence he brings to a conversation, but I frankly think he really misses the boat on Putin. See above link to Chatham House Report. I think those guys do a very thorough job on looking at what Putin has said and done and the threat he represents not just to the West, but to Russia itself. What Cohen doesn't appreciate is the damage the man is doing to Russia itself and the years Russia is losing going down a historical dead end that will have substantial cost. As to Russia's economy, it is what it is. It isn't wishful thinking to feel it is sinking and can't sustain what Russia is doing, Again read the report and see if you don't think they make a pretty good well substantiated argument that Putin's swing in the 2004 period away from diversification and a more open business model has not in fact hurt Russia's future. This based not on Ukraine at all, but on Russia's own needs and even prior to the conflict in Ukraine. I know very well the failings of US policy, as I have stated here before, I have done actual jail time for my political positions on US policy. The same Grand Jury that let Oliver North the scumbag skate put me away for 7 1/2 months (no I wasn't involved in Iran Contra, in the US system a Grand jury investigates multiple unrelated cases.) The attempt to tar me with that "but you ignore US doing the same thing" label won't fly. I find it amazing that reasonable men even still use the term "zionist conspiracy", that is a red flag that exposes a fundamental nazi apologist position unacceptable in coherent rational discussion. If you are unsure of that one I'd suggest you really need to do some fundamental rethinking before even considering participating in a discussion about international relations. That is a position that will get you banned off this forum faster than you can say "oh s**t".

what you don't have oddly enough is a doody hat. Those antler like hammers are just gonna make you a target for tooltime.

Chatham House report on the challenge of relations with Russia. http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/field/field_document/20150605RussianChallengeGilesHansonLyneNixeySherrWood.pdf

No Russia's goal was to keep Ukraine in it's area of influence. They lost that big time, Ukraine will be a long time gone before it ever considers friendship with Russia again. NATO is just a military alliance that was looking for a reason to exist and was largely ineffective due to downsizing anyway. That was never the real threat. The real threat to Russia is a democratic Ukraine with political, legal and economic transparency. That will happen in no small part thanks to Russia.

yeah I have heard the term softpower before, just I think in this context it constitutes very particular things. In other scenarios it could mean something else entirely, but always non military ways of influencing someone towards your line of thinking etc.

Love Vonnegut Question though - how do you "argue the Ukrainian side" on Russian forums if you feel Russia has a right to undermine Ukrainian right to self determination? Unfortunately some times there isn't a middle ground and you have to chose sides. For example and no I am not characterizing your position, it is just an example, as the Nazis came to power one couldn't argue a middle position between human and political rights for Jews and a Nazi argument for whatever it is they would argue. One would have to chose one as right and the other as wrong. For many of us, the situation is similar. The fundamental question is does Ukraine have a right to determine it's own future? Russian govt obfuscating BS aside, that is what this is about. Ukrainians chose and Moscow's traditional methods (as you termed it - soft power) no longer worked. That soft power was bribery and corruption. It was no more legitimate than what Russia is doing now, but at least there was some plausible deniability. Now it is simply criminal. There is no legitimate Russian position. Have other people done some similar stuff, sure. That however doesn't make it right and is not an argument for allowing it. So Russia is just gonna have to sooner or later accept than this isn't gonna fly and get the hell out before NATO stomps their military. Because at some point folks will get fed up enough and shred that half assed excuse of an army

Huh, you have a natural right to force the Ukrainians to do what Russia wants? No wonder you have a hard time feeling this is one sided. Cause you are on the wrong side of history. Anyway the point of this thread was to discuss a possible new offensive, not to spend time worrying about bruised Russian feelings about pursuing politics with the ham fisted tactics of the last century. I am afraid you won't find much sympathy here.

And Panzermike, remember Doody is as heavy as a mountain, it's smell is lighter than a feather. At least I think that is how the quote goes.

I don't know, Baghdad bob was pretty special. Much better to compare to DNR stooges.

I'm in California, nothing is wet here anymore.

ahh my apologies to Tariq. I was confusing him with Baghdad Bob, Muhammad Saeed Al-Sahhaf. Sorry Tariq, sorry Muhammad, you both deserve better.

What actions Steve? Russia is not involved, don't you understand that yet?