Tillis sounds like someone looking to run for governor, or president in a post-Trump world.

Russian casualties in Ukraine are fast approaching thirty times the number in the Soviet-Afghan war.

https://www.dw.com/en/12-million-russia ... a-75699453

Mind-blowing.

I highly recommend this video. A great channel.

Sorry for back to back posts but this video is (as a non gun country person)… amazing

Gramsci wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 1:08 am Meanwhile over in the always entertaining world of (c)rap “music”.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/poli ... 397521007/

She wants a piece of Candace Owens's pie.

Can't wait for the Kanye produced Nicki Manaj album. I heard they did the soundtrack to Melania.

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 4:16 am Russian casualties in Ukraine are fast approaching thirty times the number in the Soviet-Afghan war.

https://www.dw.com/en/12-million-russia ... a-75699453

Mind-blowing.

Is it though? The Russian tactic of winning wars has always been throwing bodies into the wood chipper until the machine breaks.

cakes wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 9:09 am

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 4:16 am Russian casualties in Ukraine are fast approaching thirty times the number in the Soviet-Afghan war.

https://www.dw.com/en/12-million-russia ... a-75699453

Mind-blowing.

Is it though? The Russian tactic of winning wars has always been throwing bodies into the wood chipper until the machine breaks.

Something worth keeping in mind when the US goes on and on about their sacrifices for Europe during "The Big One".

cakes wrote:

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 4:16 am Russian casualties in Ukraine are fast approaching thirty times the number in the Soviet-Afghan war.

https://www.dw.com/en/12-million-russia ... a-75699453

Mind-blowing.

Is it though? The Russian tactic of winning wars has always been throwing bodies into the wood chipper until the machine breaks.

That is absolutely true. The blatant disregard for human life is hard to relate to.

Another thing about Russia is that mowing down protestors and hauling people off to indefinite detention have been normalized well, pretty much forever. You'd never see something at the scale or action of the current protests against ICE here, and most citizens (at least, in their public statements) really don't mind that the Russian government can pretty much jail you for whatever. Get in the government's way, and you're done.

To wit: A good Russian friend lives in Italy. She attended a wedding there. The Catholic priest made some corny jokes about the Bible and religion. Tame stuff. No big deal, basically PG-rated self-deprecating tipsy clergy or Borscht Belt rabbi material. She seemed shocked that this is not a punishable offense. Said in Russia, someone would report the guy, and he'd be hauled off for insulting the Orthodox church and the mother country. Even I was surprised by her assertion. And she's rather worldly and originally from St. Petersburg, the most "liberal" city in the whole damn country.

Anyway, as for war casualties, I suspect numbers for both sides are far, far greater than what's being reported:

NYT wrote: The number of Russian and Ukrainian troops killed, wounded or missing during nearly four years of war is on track to reach two million by this spring, according to a new study, a stunning toll as Russia’s assault on its neighbor grinds on.

The study, published on Tuesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that nearly 1.2 million Russian troops and close to 600,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed or wounded or were missing. That would put the overall casualty figure for both countries combined at almost 1.8 million.

For the entirety of the war, casualty figures have been difficult to ascertain because Russia is believed to routinely undercount its dead and injured, and Ukraine does not disclose official figures. The study relied on American and British government estimates, among other sources.

Krev wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 8:32 am

Gramsci wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 1:08 am Meanwhile over in the always entertaining world of (c)rap “music”.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/poli ... 397521007/

She wants a piece of Candace Owens's pie.

I’m pretty sure people would pay good money to see that.