fry30

After reading the last few pages I have a sudden urge to give the ignore feature a try.
Let the record show, this is the first time I have ever used this feature on this forum.

Ok now you have my full attention.  So to answer your first question - no, it was a terrible idea but here we are.  We did not “push” Russia into anything - unless you subscribe to the John Kettler school of international policy.  They did fall into it.
I think what I find most offensive about your position now that is becoming clear is that somehow this entire war is Ukraines fault because they pissed off Russia.  So small powers should basically all fall in line to neighbouring greater powers and the freedoms and will of their peoples do not count?  This is where oversimplification get us.
We stationed western troops, including Canadians in the Baltics.  But we should back off because we wouldn’t want to make Russia angry.  Beyond your definitive tone you also appear to get pretty high on your own opinion.  Chinas status as a superpower is debatable:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/02/china-superpower-us-new-cold-war-rivalry-geopolitics/
 
https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-emergence-superpower
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2023/08/25/why-chinas-bid-to-become-a-superpower-is-doomed-to-failure/?sh=651d400d1d0e
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3936751-china-a-great-power-but-not-a-superpower/
So glad another expert could come and tell us how it really is.
 
 

Even with overhead observation this Russian assault group gets their heads handed to them.

You forgot the part where no one in the neighborhood ever invites you to the monthly BBQ.  You get awkward dinners with the Chinese couple next door, but it is just so...not normal.  And that weird sweaty NK guy who lives all alone in the house where the lights are never on wants to be your best friend.  

President Pavel is a decorated military officer and in my opinion a hero for what he did in the 90s. I'm sure some folks from Czechia and France who read this forum know what I am talking about.
I think his opinion is worth reading.
Source: Czech president: Western military support for Ukraine insufficient for high-intensity operation (The Kyiv Independent)

Now here is something we can fully agree upon.  How on earth anyone believes Russia has “won” is beyond me.  If winning means failing to achieve every strategic objective, stated and unstated.  In fact achieving the exact opposite effect in many ways.  And destroying yourself in the process.  Then I want to lose.  
If the war stops right now, Russia is going to gain something like 6 or 7 percent of additional lands, much of which is blasted and contaminated.  Lands they cannot afford to pull resources out of because that would cost infrastructure and expertise that left in droves.  They will never pull more out of the land they stole from Ukraine than what it costs them to take it. 
Weirdly, Russia probably had a better chance to simply offer Ukraine a mountain of cash for that 6% and it would have been cheaper in the long run.  Or free oil and gas, whatever.  Employing hard military power was the dumbest Russian idea since…well, 1905.

Not sure if it has been posted yet.
Russian military expenditure increased to 30% of GDP.
A 70% increase.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-approves-big-military-spending-hikes-russias-budget-2023-11-27/?utm_source=reddit.com
 

I don't think it's just the weather that's impairing those folks. 

then you need to tell me something new to me as I have done several and it takes a freakin long time, so perhaps you can show me the one you have done and the process you have done to correct them?  My examples are several for CMFB, a few for CMBN and an expansion for Venafro (CMFI) which was a relatively fictional flat map.
Saying "proofreading and checking houses does not take a long time" means squat to me unless I see the results of work you have done that are comparable.  My experience is it takes freakin long time.  Not trying to be argumentative, but I have found the CM map maker to be hard to work with to adjust for stuff like this.

Hey politics day. Well for my two cents.

According to the oh so helpful political campus and my lifelong voting record I'm a conservative. No way around it the truth is more than enough people with right wing views seem to have accepted the idea that Putin is not so bad, or Ukraine is not our problem. I think a lot of them think this way because they believe that our society is deteriorating, and Russia represents true traditional Christian values or whatever. Thing is Russia is basically just a mafia state. Some just don't like how much this war costs.

Well, that being said some folks on the left read "tankies" also give Russia a pass, because they still like Russia as it is a successor to the Soviet Union and they still think the Soviet Union is a force for good...Lets ask some of our friends from central and eastern Europe about that.

Anyway, I think the North American conservative movement needs more guys like Mitt Romney and Steven Harper as far as their understanding of the threat that Putin presents. As far as Russia goes, I think both of those guys would feel right at home on this forum.

What I always loved about this place is we have liberals and conservatives uniting to oppose an unjust war of aggression by a nation ruled by a man that we know is not our friend. 

Alright now that I said that I will go back to posting cool videos from Twitter. 🙂

Ease up there, bud. No need to slash and burn. I'm a liberal,  with conservative views on certain things.  I know a very liberal woman who is quite emotional and now apparently also very gullible (she's starting to spout that the Oct 7th attacks were fake). Full bore liberal going full bore tinfoil hat wearing. 
It's like that old chestnut by people who say they're relaxed,  don't get upset and are always rational.  Sure, until someone finds their button - that particular thing they truly care about - and mashes down hard.  Then Mr Cool Dude becomes Mr Raging A$$h*le real fast. 
Isn't everyone emotional,  across all spectrums? And everyone is gullible to what they want to hear that satisfies their psychological state, be they liberal conservative, fascist,  libertarian,  etc., no?

I don't think it's just the weather that's impairing those folks. 

I don't think it's just the weather that's impairing those folks. 

I don't think it's just the weather that's impairing those folks. 

I don't think it's just the weather that's impairing those folks. 

Watch until the end. 😄
But seriously nice to see that bad weather obviously also impairs the bad guys in their own country, not just the good guys defending their country. 
 
 

Just a reminder that BFC has as much power as anyone/thing outside the Senate Armed Services Committee to make that happen. The way the next games portrays modern and near future warfare is just about the biggest truly independent pressure factor out there. No pressure or anything...

This was in Amsterdam and referencing Israel and Gaza. What has it got to do with Ukraine? Given your wording, it sounds like you are just trying to shoehorn a personal bugbear.

The kind of thing you'd see in a US made eastern European road-trip comedy of the 80s.
Parody is dead.

Fire up old Bessie CMFI.
Scenario editor. Mission-data set to June 1944 Italy
Units-purchase axis-German Army-armor formations
Purchase Panzer Battalion 43 (mixed)
On the right side, click up at the overall battalion to expand it out.
Click up at the + sign to make it reddish. You can expand it all out to companies and platoons also if you want.
Just make sure it stays reddish on that right panel.
Down low you have your options, pick Panzer Aufklarung to make it green with an arrow "   >   " in green.
Then over a few columns select PzIII and PzIIIG
You should see that platoon change to G's. (in the support company)
Then make sure the entire battalion stays reddish...
Down low you have your options, NOW pick Pz IIIN (late) to make it green with an arrow "   >   " in green.
Then over a few columns select PzIII and PzIIIG 50mm
You should see that Bn HQ troop change to G's. 
You can then go back and delete out vehicles and platoons and purchase some long 50mm. My mods have the PzIIIN(late) I forget, my mod makes it a PZIVD.
I think my mod ditches the skirts with transprencies.
EDIT: Return date back to July 1943 and save scenario.
Enjoy North Africa!
Remember with bitterness how BFC could do all this so easily but are too busy. 
 

..... Lol 
I guess this is living proof russian sewer level propaganda works?🤷 

As usual, I'm suddenly finding I accomplished something entirely by accident and feel a culturally ingrained need to apologise...

But hey-ho, back to work.

Get off my tank, hippie.
Saw a post on reddit.  Some guy was trying to use his Apple watch at checkout and it wasn't going through.  Old guy in line behind him says "c'mon "future boy", get it moving." 😁

It is completely broken. Just look at this they get within 50 meters of each other in broad daylight and be doesn't even see it. It's laughable that anybody would consider this to be realistic behaviour.
Completely unplayable, I want a refund.