In Solidarity with Ukraine

[goamules]

You would think after 2 world wars started by European countries (and one Asian one copying western Imperialism) in the 20th century they would have figured out how to stop bullies without relying on America to come save them. Millions died in WWI, an entire generation of men. Then 21 years later they started conquest again, and millions of servicemen as well as millions of innocents were killed in concentration camps. Now, Putin is starting it again....

 

[Malcolm M]

I’ve just posted some photos of an anti-war demo on Sunday on the main Gallery. Rather longish rant on the subject below, rather than as photo notes.

Largely an assembly of a couple of hundred of the usual crowd of leftie rent-a-demonstrators, who seem to think that you can stop a war- sorry- Special Military Operation- by chanting “Putin! Putin! Putin! Out! Out! Out!”. What mental gymnastics the Socialist Workers had to go through to protest against a hard-line Communist (Putin applied to join the KGB at 16) invading another country I can’t imagine. Neither can I understand the relevance of Black Lives Matter. Even the anti-Brexit mob had crawled out of the woodwork. We were also treated to a speech by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, just at the point when we need every nuke we can lay our hands on. I do have some sympathy for those calling for a more liberal attitude to refugees that the pusillanimous statements from our egregious Home Secretary.

 

[Joao]

The British Journal of Photography published a list of resources to help Ukraine

You can find them here

https://www.1854.photography/2022/03...photographers/

Regards
João

 

[Michael Markey]

With a number of global companies pulling out of Russia recently has anybody heard of Leica intention in this regard .

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Here is a list from Forbes about the companies that have pulled out of Russia or have stopped doing business with Russia. The list is a couple of days old and I did not see any mention of Leica.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisa...es-with-russia-over-invasion/?sh=382aba10bafb

 

[Sonnar Brian]

storemoscow@leica-camera.com

You can Email Leica Store in Moscow and ask them. They seem to have regular hours posted.

I doubt Leica will be there much longer, as most companies are pulling out.

We're back to a full "Cold War" with Russia again, with Russia invading the Ukraine.
I remember the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Putin should remember the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. He's set Russia up for a long and bloody occupation once again.

 

[Rob-F]

Obviously we have gone well beyond the issue of how photographers can help by using FSU cameras. Apparently it's OK to talk about how we feel about the war. The US is helping by supplying lots of equipment, and Ukraine is making good use of it to shoot down Russian helicopters and fighter planes, and blow up Russian tanks. But I can't help feeling that we should do more. Biden says he doesn't want to fight WW3 in Ukraine. I think we have to be willing to assume greater risk than that. We can't help more without taking more risk, and we need to help more. Fighter planes with American pilots to wipe out the Russian planes bombing hospitals. Maybe destroy the 40 mile convoy, even if some of it is on Russian ground. Maybe use B-2 Stealth bombers to drop bunker buster bombs on the big Kremlin government building? Not nukes, just the bunker busters. Look, bullies are cowards. Putin is a bully, and a coward. Will he risk nuking the USA, knowing what would then happen to his whole country? If we don't stop him, he won't stop with Ukraine. Probably most of his countrymen want him removed. If we could blow up his office with him in it, might Russia not thank us? Yes, I know, it's risky. But I think we should take the risk of calling his bluff.

OK I got that said. Anyone else feel that way? And no, don't bother talking about diplomacy. You can't reason with someone who isn't rational.

 

[fireblade]

The world is becoming an interesting chess board. The West may be wise in putting their heads together and think about stopping Putin at Ukraine. If not, China will see the Western allies, especially the US as weak and make it's move on Taiwan......what then??

 

[Archlich]

Maybe use B-2 Stealth bombers to drop bunker buster bombs on the big Kremlin government building? Not nukes, just the bunker busters. Look, bullies are cowards. Putin is a bully, and a coward. Will he risk nuking the USA, knowing what would then happen to his whole country? If we don't stop him, he won't stop with Ukraine. Probably most of his countrymen want him removed. If we could blow up his office with him in it, might Russia not thank us? Yes, I know, it's risky. But I think we should take the risk of calling his bluff.

If a Tu-160 came in to drop a bomb on the White House back in the Trump days, since well, some Russians believe most of Trump's countrymen probably want him gone (we know it likely is not true).

How would the US react? Say thank you to Kremlin for ridding us of the annoyance?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

-

Again, I do think the Biden administration is too weak in the Ukraine crisis. Avoiding the WW3 doesn't equal to sending Putin an open invitation for invasion. Look at how they cowered from setting up the no-fly zone.

Bullies are cowards, how true...

 

[james.liam]

The world is becoming an interesting chess board. The West may be wise in putting their heads together and think about stopping Putin at Ukraine. If not, China will see the Western allies, especially the US as weak and make it's move on Taiwan......what then??

Always was a chessboard. Avocations mimic real life. Or vice versa, like poker.

 

[KoNickon]

I agree -- call Putin's bluff. This is to protect Ukraine, not to wage war on Russia. We can't just say we aren't going to go into Ukraine. But it needs to be a NATO operation, not US.

 

[fireblade]

Interesting watch ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHH10jIRJmQ&t=111s&ab_channel=SivertKrudtå

 

[ChrisPlatt]

A concerted effort to get the truth into Russia is absolutely essential.
People there must be shown what Putin is actually doing in Ukraine.

During the Cold War Voice of America radio broadcasts were an important counterpoint to Pravda and Izvestia.
Today the West must find a way to infiltrate tightly controlled Russian media with truth.

Chris

 

[raid]

Didn’t Elon Musk say that his team could use a satellite system to provide internet to Russians.

 

[fireblade]

A concerted effort to get the truth into Russia is absolutely essential.
People there must be shown what Putin is actually doing in Ukraine.

During the Cold War Voice of America radio broadcasts were an important counterpoint to Pravda and Izvestia.
Today the West must find a way to infiltrate tightly controlled Russian media with truth.

Chris

It's the West that is the problem here. Please educate yourself on the beginnings of this sad situation. The US and high ranking EU officials are the problem. Pyatt, Nuland, Biden when he was VP. You seriously need to stop watching main stream media.

 

[fireblade]

Didn’t Elon Musk say that his team could use a satellite system to provide internet to Russians.

"SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Saturday that his company won't block access to Russian media sources on its Starlink internet system despite requests from some governments.
"Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources," Musk wrote on Twitter Saturday (March 5). "We will not do so unless at gunpoint."

 

[raid]

I misunderstood his statement.

 

[Rob-F]

A concerted effort to get the truth into Russia is absolutely essential.
People there must be shown what Putin is actually doing in Ukraine.

During the Cold War Voice of America radio broadcasts were an important counterpoint to Pravda and Izvestia.
Today the West must find a way to infiltrate tightly controlled Russian media with truth.

Chris

Radio Free Europe is still broadcasting, but an article on the web says that Russia is forcing RFE to shut down its operation within Russia, with heavy fines, in order to prevent Russian citizens from learning the truth about the war in Ukraine. No surprise there.

 

[Rob-F]

If a Tu-160 came in to drop a bomb on the White House back in the Trump days, since well, some Russians believe most of Trump's countrymen probably want him gone (we know it likely is not true).

How would the US react? Say thank you to Kremlin for ridding us of the annoyance?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

-

Again, I do think the Biden administration is too weak in the Ukraine crisis. Avoiding the WW3 doesn't equal to sending Putin an open invitation for invasion. Look at how they cowered from setting up the no-fly zone.

Bullies are cowards, how true...

Yeah, that sounds like a good reality check. Not that I thought we would really bomb the kremlin. I agree Biden is not showing proper strength. We could enforce a no-fly zone.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

It's the West that is the problem here.

That is an an utterly absurd statement.

Show Russians the actual images of what Putin has done in Ukraine and where he has done it, then let them decide...

Chris