I have both and I think it's better to know, independent of the outcome.

That's pretty much the point of banality of evil - you don't need an extraordinary assembly of psychopaths to run a fascist regime. All it takes is a group of loud populists, generally discontent crowd and, boom, you have "make Germany great again".

After ww2 finished, both Germanies discovered that they don't really have enough people without Nazi past that could run the country. So most folks just went back to work to slightly renamed workplaces.

Does that mean they were not complicit? They were and the winners made sure Germans would learn about what they caused.

I guess the only excuse back the was that they didn't know better. But we do.

Here's some read for you: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eichmann_in_Jerusalem#Banality_of_evil

Yes, an average russian or Israeli person is not likely to have directly participated in the recent events.

The catch, though, it's that by not opposing the actions of their governments, they DO contribute to the events indirectly. They pay taxes. They work at factories producing weapons. They make the food that the soldiers eat.

On top of that it's not russian government who's currently pulling the triggers and dropping bombs. Just regular folks who just follow orders.

Yes, protesting in russia is not easy, but the war keeps going on because the government sees that people aren't worried too much about it.

And yes, in both countries there are people who actively oppose, but the majority doesn't.

And that majority is complicit.

Lol. That was my reaction too. "Oh, shit, it's a video - close".

My issue with videos is that they are too slow for relaying information. I'll be ok with it if there would be a two-sentence summary, after reading which I could decide if I want to watch it.

I suspect so that video says it's that phone calls don't relay the body language and that makes it more difficult to understand.

Yup. Music is my main regulation mechanism. For emotions, for concentration, you name it.

And sometimes it's sludge metal, sometimes it's electro swing, sometimes it's jazz Bach.

Not exactly the same, but I'm really glad monolord released an instrumental-only version along the "normal" one. https://piped.video/watch?v=7HCUR7y8ziM&t=12

Ceiling, duh.

That's cheating! Why would I want anything easier :)

I don't know. I was making rice today and the moment I left kitchen (for a nano second, of course) it burned.

Here's my today's rice recipe:

• put some oil in the pot
• put a cup of rice and set the heat to max
• add salt, a clove of garlic and a couple of cardamom seeds
• mix until rice changes colour
• think how well you have everything under control
• blink (I swear the new avatar has nothing to do with it!), take the burnt rice off the stove and throw it away
• realise I forgot my medication
• take another pot and repeat the steps, but avoid blinking
• when drive changed colour, add 1.5 cups of water
• reduce the heat and cover the pot
• realise that the pot is too small
• pour everything into a bigger pot
• add heat
• blink and realise the water is boiling out
• move it from the heat, reduce the heat
• wait
• wait some more
• move the pot back but turn the heat off
• wait 15 minutes
• rice is done!
• realise it's not salted but take the win and feed your child

Yey, we're society's outmost sensory system. I mean we do get to see the world for what it is. And then have the honour to tell folks on the inside how is it out there.

The worst was when it was stolen, while I was travelling, 3 hours before it was time to leave for the airport. Obviously my IDs, tickets, money, were all there.

Lol. Read the title and started giggling. Family asks why I giggle, I tell them and they start laughing.

So yes. After losing everything, including the backpack I always have it with me. It's a hard rule - the moment I'm far from it, I need something from it.

The contents are pretty much everything I might need during an average day. Keys, vallet, medicines, a notebook and a pen, bandages, headphones, deodorant.

They started spending that money after starting the war, so it's use is related to the war in question. Thus, when they will run out, whatever they were paying for (war related) will stop getting money.

It might not be a direct financing of the battlefield activities, but while the victory will be in the battlefield, the biggest chunk of the battle actually happens in preparation and logistics.

In other words, I'm hopeful that this will have a major impact on the invader's ability to cause harm.

It would be 9 years, if only one linear factor was at play.

I believe it's multiple factors, though.

One is that every plane taken out had its share of "work", which is now distributed across the remaining ones. Which means they get worn out a little faster. Similar to how they have to cannibalise parts from one civilian aircraft to repair another.

Then I'm going they cannot maintain the usual production speed because if the sanctions. Add to that an increased need to repair since the plains are more heavily used. And I'd guess that repairs are fine at the same facility that produces them, this also reducing production speed.

In other words, I think it's about snowballing and at this rate it could be way less than nine years.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-34

Since 2006 they've built 150 units. That's 8 units a year. Some were sold, some got lost.

As of 20 May 2023, there have been 20 visually confirmed cases of Su-34s being lost, damaged or abandoned by Russian forces since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. 23 now, apparently.

At their price, with sanctions, with wear of the remaining ones, at this rate, they might not have any left very soon.

There are other ways of passive or active resistance that is not a direct confrontation.

In the end, it's still a choice, I'm afraid.

Forced or obeying orders? There's a difference, you know.

About 50% of what they had at the beginning two years ago.

Oh, but it does. True, they have no regard for human casualties, but even with their population, they cannot maintain the meatwaves forever.

Let's have a look. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Russia

So, 47% of their population is male. Out of 145 million of bodies they posses, males are 68 million. The percentage of 18-44 year olds is 35. That's 23 million potential soldiers.

Omg, that's one massive army, one would say.

But this is russia, we're talking about.

In June 2009, the Public Chamber of Russia reported over 500,000 alcohol-related deaths annually. They have 1.3% of population dying every year. In 2009 it meant about 1.8 million dead. 25% of those were alcohol related. That's only deaths.

They improved, but an average russian is still a professional alcoholic. Let's assume that a whooping 80% of those 23 millions are actually relatively healthy. That's 18 million potential soldiers.

Still a lot.

But it's still russia.

Apart from alcohol, it's famous for the widespread thievery. I'm not joking. https://ru-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Пьют_и_воруют?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

The big difference is that for last 9 years, Ukraine was at war with russia, while russia was enjoying its second army of the world status. In other words they were stealing as usual.

So yes, one can think that it is impossible to fight against an army of 18 million. But russia started this war with 800k and two years later, lost already half of them, bumped the army to two million and still is making an occasional 200 meters of progress only to lose them in a week.

Ukraine still not losing and not planning to, is what matters.

Ah, but it's all about the context.

See, nothing was done and nothing changed, is definitely not an update.

On the other hand, "russia lost 30'000 personell in November alone, but nothing changed" is a significant update.