Russia - threadbanned users in OP

The Shah is a major example of someone being better than what came after him .... as we speak Iran is probably the second worst regime in the world ... only Afghanistan is worse ... and the Shah's reign now looks like the golden age of modern Iran ...the current ultra hardline Iranian government that took office in 2021 is by far the worst Iranian government of all time ... and created due to Trump's sanctions/leaving the JCPOA ... in turn this government will neither moderate its stifling laws or engage with the rest of the world to improve the economy ... thus assuring social and economic reform are not possible until this regime is gone ...

Shah Reza Pahlavi III would be a much better leader hands down than the guy who prob currently rules, or, ruins Iran who is Mojtaba Khamenei the son of the current ailing leader ... Khmanenei II seems to have a more oppressive and mean streak than even his father ... typical of someone handed power on a plate ... I feel the Iranian people need to get rid of this nightmare regime now ...

Saddam was sort of a Shah meets Napoleon meet Hitler ... Saddam's warmongering made him too many enemies ... and 9/11 sealed his fate even though he had nothing to do with it ... but Americans wanted someone's head for it and thus the war started .. we all know now this war was a mistake but back then Saddam was regarded as a mega villain with armies of terrorists waiting for his order ... and the US govt did not do anything to discourage this myth ...

True a major mistake in US wars was not cooperating with some from within the regime ... today it is clear something needs to be done about both Iran's Khamenei/Paydari regime and Putin .... the latter is off limits for a war in obvious terms ... but could something be done to help Iran's opposition more and perhaps inspire Russians to do same?? ... Now moderates within Iran's government need to be reached out to .... Trump messed up things with the moderates in the 2013-2021 admin ... but Trump a hardliner himself had no interest in talking to Iran's moderates ... today Mohammed Bajer Qalibaf is one of the more moderate members of the current system ... I'd say a lot of people like him would be glad to see the back of the Khamenei family ... whatever whoever they need to be included in a post Khamenei Iran and all parties bar Paydari/other hardlners I feel should be part of a new Iran .... where a culture of respect and tolerance replaces the current negative confrontational policies ... also professionals who can rise above ideology are needed ... I feel the Khameneis and their Paydari pals cannot change to form positive relationships with the world and end compulsory Hijab even if they wanted to .... they don't know how ... and therefore have failed Iran and its people ...

Exactly what Gary Kasparov said about the west treating Putin like a politician. He said we should see him not as a politician but as a gangster.

Another "double tap" hit on residential buildings in Ukraine. Part of a long list of similar war crimes by Russia, starting in Syria.

I hope the ICC prosecutors are putting the relevant military people on their lists.

Russia just wants the uranium and any instability is a bonus for them.

Unskilled migrants are the backbone of a huge amount of factories here in Ireland but we're not sending men off to war. Russia was doing this well before the war, their national workforce isn't made up of Flintstones.

What are you basing that off?

Russia has relied on a migrant workforce doing the **** for a long time now. There are plenty of gaps to fill but assuming that migrants are filling the factory floor in place of conscripted Russians is nonsense. Russia had a higher migrant workforce before the war.

Exchange rates have little bearing on reality since central banks on both sides can manipulate the value of their currency.

Mordor is hot today

There was a story going the rounds after the Shah had departed, and Khomeini had arrived. It quickly became apparent that on second thoughts, he was not the right choice ( understatement of the year back then) but was possibly the worst choice that they could have made. So discreet enquiries were made to the Israelis about what options would be available if they wished to correct the mistake they had made, and could they help?. They were told basically that they had made their own bed,and now could lie on it, because under no circumstances would Israel ever condone, never mind act on such a disgraceful suggestion.

To be taken with a pinch of salt for now but lots of chatter that compulsory evacuations are being prepared for the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv. This comes after the AFU reported a "difficult situation" earlier confronting advancing Russian troops.

Some reports that Russian troops are now less than 5 miles away.

Another Bahkmut?

Could be the answer to 'Russian weak spot that Ukraine could target to cripple their efforts?' Optics factory.

They can, relevant to domestic economy but comes unstuck when they must invariably interface with other currencies for import/ export. Crushing the Russian currency and economy is a very powerful tool in the hands of Ukraine's supporters.

It means taking pain and increasing inflation for us, but it can be done.

Prigozhin is some piece of work . Hopefully some day karma will catch up with him.

It’s time they woke up and realised that they were sent to Ukraine to die, and not get paid or family compensated for it.

Because it isn't.