Saturday, March 12, 2022

Elon Musk has been asked to 'turn off' all Tesla's in Russia

 via Independent.

Elon Musk has been asked to “turn off” Teslas in Russia as he has made superchargers free for people fleeing Ukraine in electric vehicles.


The entrepreneur was inundated with requests from his Twitter followers to shut down his company’s electric vehicles in the country as Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine continues.

A Google check has this story popping up all over the place.  But an "ask" (by Twitter followers) is meaningless.

What means a whole lot is that he apparently has the power to do this!

This is the danger of a corporatology.  They not only charge you for additional "services" but those services can be cut off for whatever reason they deem appropriate.

FUCK THAT!

This alone has me saying hell no to an electric vehicle.  The power grid is vulnerable enough, now you add this issue along with hacking and its just a non-starter to me.

Looks like I'll stick with old tech when it comes to transportation...until they screw us all and no longer provide spare parts.

Guess I'll switch to Alibaba?  What a fucked up beyond recognition world we live in.

Either I climb aboard the corporatology here at home or I support a potentially hostile nation that is at economic war with us?

God help us all. 

Friday, March 11, 2022

An update on the war from a Russian reader...

 Note.  We are all living in a fog.  The only info we're getting about the course of the war is from the Ukrainians and the vids are of only success.  We all know war don't work that way.  The Ukrainians MUST be taking hits and judging by the desperation coming from Zelensky things must be going badly (just watch his latest vids).

Below is an update from a reader of this blog that is Russian.  I don't ask you to believe everything he's saying but to consider it as another tidbit of open source information so that you can properly assess the war.

Remember the first casualty of war is the TRUTH!

From my Russian reader

replied in SNAFU!

- Volnovaha is almost totatlly destroyed. DPR shows that "civilian shield" will not stop them.

- Mariupol will be leveled for 7-10 days, according to people on the ground. DPR is going hard.

- Artillery shelling of Nikolaev started. They had very smug-face governor, who boasted "he gives russian forces 2 days to surrender" - we'll see. I suspect it will be the same as Kharkov - artillery and airforce polygon. Also step by step Nikolaev is encircled.

- Mega encirclement in Donbass is getting closer. Ukraianians cant pull out their troops because of RuAF, and sitting there gives no credit.

Popular take "you wont be able to control the territory". Well, some moves already made, on liberated territories:

- All debts to Ukrianian institutions are written off. Loans, heating, electricity, gas - everything is zeroed.

- Gasoline, heating, gas, electricity prices are normalized with Russian ones (which makes them from 2 times (fuel) to 3-7 times cheaper)

- Rumour: RosGuard started night raids, visiting "pro-ukrainian" citizens. Time to pay the price.

- On liberated parts of LPR\DPR local police and other services (like prosecutor's office) join LPR's service, after brief "filtration".

- Rumour: RosGuard units have briefed personell of nuclear plants that "this plant is now belongs to Rosatom and you will be adjusting your procedures to match".

- Mobilized infantry from DPR is deployed in Kherson as "security service". Very smart move, these are very allergic to Ukrainian flags and will not think twice before firing a shot

- Units for Ministry of Security Service of LPR deployed in liberated cities and filing the case. AFAIR mayor of Melitopol was arrested for his connections with Right Sector and now being interrogated.

- Supply chains are established via Crimea - local shops are supplied with all needed stuff via Crimea(for Kherson)

- Farmers are urged to prepare for season - they will be provided with fuel and all needed things to plant their stuff. Russia promises to give them full access to russian market (I suspect there will be direct buy-out of anything they'll grow)

- Radio and TV are russian ones.

- RosGuard reacts less and less liberal on pro-Ukrainian protests.

- No taxes until further notice.

So looks like full integration might be on the way, and scouting for Bandera's lovers isnt that noisy - some bounties here and there and eventually locals might start cooperating

My view?

This gives us a glimpse into what's going on in Russian controlled Ukraine.  It also (don't know if it was accidental or on purpose) gives us a small look-see into their ongoing operations. Time will tell how correct it is. 


Ukrainian and Russian Refugees Surge at US-Mexico Border

 via TIME

Migrant advocates say Sofiia and her family’s struggle has directed a spotlight on the Biden Administration’s embrace of Title 42, which has been the subject of an ongoing lawsuit against the U.S., at a time when a growing number of Ukrainians and Russians are attempting to request asylum.


According to a TIME analysis of CBP data, the number of encounters between U.S. border agents and Ukrainians and Russians at the U.S.-Mexico border increased 753% between FY2020 and 2021. In FY22 so far, the number of Ukrainians and Russians encountered at the border has already surpassed the previous two years, with the most significant uptick happening in the last six months, as Russia’s threats against Ukraine increased. CPB has not yet provided data for February or early March, making it difficult to more precisely track the influence of the Russian invasion.

Here 

Read the ENTIRE story and make note of dates when increased Ukrainian, Russia and "other than Mexicans" started crossing the southern border.

I've been accused of race baiting (funny as hell), but that will NOT stop me from asking difficult questions.

Fact.

The Biden administration's policy on immigration has led to an INFLUX of people from all OVER THE WORLD attempting to cross into the US via the southern border. This is a national security issue.  IT IS NOT A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE.  NOT FOR US CITIZENS!!

Fact.

This policy confusion has become a MAGNET to people which has resulted in a muddled policy with no clear answers.

Fact.

Unchecked immigration will/has led to numerous deaths of American citizens by criminal immigrants.  We can expect that to increase with the new rush.

--------

I contend that an immigration pause is necessary to get our house in order and to put in place a FAIR immigration system that accounts for the needs of the US first and foremost and allows for background checks of those that seek to enter the country.

--------

The war porn that the Ukrainian/Russian conflict has become will leave MANY Americans vulnerable to the plight of both Russians and Ukrainians.

This vulnerability (which is being led by the elite in an effort to drum up support for increased spending across the board and to distract the public from the economic CATASTROPHE that we're all staring down) will lead to MANY MORE unpleasant conversations.

Haitians that are facing criminality that borders on the barbaric were not allowed into the country.  Venezuelans are being denied when they live under an oppressive govt and are also facing rampant criminality. The list goes on.

If we swing open the doors to Ukrainians then how do you explain shutting it to other groups.  If you open the doors to all then how do you ensure that we maintain an orderly society?

Long story short?

Expect more and more heartstrings to be pulled while they distract you from a fracturing society, an ineffective federal govt, attempts to maintain the frontier via our military and increased social experimentation.

We are all being deceived and most are not noticing...and even fewer want to take a cold, hard look at the problem.

You do realize that while you've been transfixed by the Ukrainian war porn, the economy is falling apart around our ears...

 

Story here You're caught in the matrix. They're pushing the war in Ukraine to keep your eyes off rising food & gas prices (won't even touch on the staggering rise in other goods), crime, continuing covid "stuff" and a generally pissed off American public. The reality is that this is a crisis that they won't allow to go to waste and Putin is the PERFRECT fall guy for this lousy economy. Does anyone remember that before the war we were told that inflation was good? Then it was supply chain issues. Now its Putin. Wake up NEO!!!

I am REALLY not understanding the Russian reaction to ambush OR their conduct of this war...

 

 

I'm beyond rusty but I don't recall what we see above as the proper reaction to an ambush. We were always taught to be aggressive as fuck! Even law enforcement is more aggressive than we're seeing here when it comes to reacting to an ambush.

I've predicted that the Russians would get tough and I still don't believe they've dialed all the way up (still think they're at a 5 or 6).

I remember Putin stating that this was a "special military operation" and assumed that was why they were operating with kid gloves.

But the above gives me pause.


Distributed Operations 1/2

 

 
Stop testing this stuff in a vacuum! Show me how it stacks up against a Stryker Brigade, an upgraded Airborne Brigade...then up the ante and do the same against a Mech Inf Brigade (all units with supporting arms). Then ask the NTC to develop a force package based on a Chinese Marine Brigade and let's see how it does then. All this testing to the course work is NOT valid!  If you design the test and want a certain outcome then YOU WILL get that outcome!

I'm surprised more Marines aren't globing onto the fact the this concept is just an organized Guadalcanal 2.0!

Marines are learning foraging which indicates that they expect resupply to be interdicted.

Berger has already admitted that the "golden hour" for causalities is a thing of the past.

Once you peek under the hood of this thing we're setting up current and future Marines to fight (and probably die) unsupported, no resupply, no medical evacuation and having to try and live off the land.

This concept is a step backwards to an awful time in history that Marines of that era promised would never happen again.

Berger laughed in their faces and said hold my beer...yet his psychopaths have the audacity to say that the enemy fears this thing!  WHAT BULLSHIT!

Burn of the day!

 


Marine Corps Exceeds 1,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Separations

 via USNI News

The Marine Corps has now separated more than 1,000 Marines due to refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.


The Marine Corps separated 165 Marines over the past week due to their refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. At 1,038, the Marine Corps leads the military branches for the most separations.


The Navy comes in second with a total of 469 separations, which includes 50 this past week. Of the separations this week, 24 had served for more than six years, while 26 served for less than six years. The highest rank was chief petty officer, said Lt. Travis Callaghan, spokesperson for chief of naval personnel, in an email.


The Air Force has separated 205 active-duty airmen, according to its weekly update. The Army has not yet separated a soldier.

Here 

So the Marine Corps has separated about a Battalion of Marines over covid refusal.

The US Army?

None.

Just plain wow...oh and make no mistake.  The Army has objectors to the shot but they're making an effort to work with their Soldiers.

America's ground force has it right.  It's naval and air force?  Not so much. 

Extremely late open comment post. 11 Mar 2022

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, transport Marines with 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion in a CH-53E Super Stallion in preparation for Exercise Cold Response 2022, near Bardufoss Air Station, Norway

USS America (LHA 6) Conducts Flight Operations with JSDGF

Thursday, March 10, 2022

𝗔𝗧𝗲𝗠𝗠 an 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘 modular multi-mission 𝙫𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 platform

 

Note. If the Littoral Regiment is gonna use its dispersed units to jam enemy communications and provide anti-air defense (thinking lasers) then they need this platform...perhaps even beefed up! A man portable system (based on my limited knowledge) just won't get the job done...especially when it comes to electronic warfare.

Opinion: Gen. Mark Milley: Why no-fly in Ukraine is a no-go

 via Washington Post

“If a no-fly zone was declared, someone would have to enforce it, and that would mean someone would have to then go and fight against Russian air forces,” Milley explained. “That is not something that NATO Secretary [Jens] Stoltenberg, or member states’ political leadership, has indicated they want to do.”

Story here. 

I hope this puts a knife into this terrible idea being pushed by the emotional elite.

British UKSF recruitment video

 

CSIS Missile Defense guide on anti-tank missiles being used by Ukrainian Defense Force

Kinda surprised that we're not seeing heavier weight anti-tank missiles in use. But man portable seems to work well which is surprising...I thought Russian armor would hold up better than it has. 

If this war is an indication then the IFV concept is dead. So is the main battle tank. What replaces them? Personnel carriers that stop well short of the objective and provide covering fire (classic APC) and Infantry Support Vehicles that support the infantry in the assault/defense...but further back. The future battlefield is gonna be a meat grinder. Infantry is gonna have to take ground with limited direct fire (perhaps UAVs?)...but that does open up an unappreciated asset to make a huge comeback. Mortars! Preferably automatic mortars that can keep heads down and be walked in front of advancing troops.

The other possibility is unmanned ground vehicles but they're gonna have to be plentiful, expendable and carry a helluva punch to do the close in fight.

Of course the caveat in all this is IF there are any lessons to be learned from this conflict.

Quite honestly the way this fight has been going a Battalion of MARSOC/RANGERS could probably have won in the defense or the assault the way this fight is going.  JSOC would be having a ball if confronted with either side in this war...BUT OF COURSE the Russians would be fighting TOTALLY differently if confronted by US Special Ops (my opinion).

Does anyone have a "reading" on why the Russian Army is flying the Soviet Flag?

 

I've been getting people's take on stuff I don't care about. This I'm curious about and no one has a take on it. Has anyone seen an expert opinion of why this is a thing for them now?

Twitter bans pro Russia news account.

Govt - Corporate shaping of American opinion.  Disagreement is not allowed.

3d Recon Casualty Evacuation Drills

Battery B, 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade live fire exercise at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area

Maritime Defense Exercise Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (MDX-ARDB) bilateral exercise