Prozac

Along a similar vein: https://www.rand.org/blog/2021/12/expect-shock-and-awe-if-russia-invades-ukraine.html

Not exactly “most of Europe’s energy”: https://www.e-ir.info/2020/02/24/the-energy-relationship-between-russia-and-the-european-union/ A very significant chunk of its natural gas, yes, but Russia is also highly dependent on the revenue that generates. It gets difficult to fund a large occupation force (of the type that would be necessary to secure eastern Ukraine) on a shoestring budget.

He’s smarter than the lawyers bro. He did his own “research” on the web. 😎

Yes. Lighten up Francis.

Well, you must be fun to fly with Ace:

Unfortunately, many of us see the world through sand colored glasses as we’ve spent our entire careers in the Middle East. A nascent democracy & modern European economy is a very different animal from a stone aged loose collection of villages. There is a very recent history of political movements in Ukraine that suggests that anyone there who is not of Russian descent absolutely does not want to see a Ukraine ruled by Russia. The current government wants very badly to be a full NATO member for exactly that reason. Ukraine also sits in a highly strategic geographical position and having it as a strong ally would give the US and Western Europe significantly more leverage in the entire Black Sea region.

Does Webster’s definition change what the vaccines do? Does it matter at all? The vaccines (or prophylactics or whatever you want to call them) we’re effective before the definition change and they are effective now. If I had to guess, the definition was probably changed because people were acting like a bunch of eight year olds, stomping up and down and saying “Nuh-uh! Websters says it isn’t a vaccine so you can’t make me take it!” Regardless, it makes no difference to me how you define vaccine, or what you call these shots. The only thing that matters is that they’re an effective tool in the quiver when it comes to fighting Covid.

More semantics. The flu vaccine that we all agreed was, in fact, a vaccine for years wouldn’t have fit the definition either.

So if the DOD produced some vials with the “right” label on them, would you roll up your sleeve? I’m guessing for most who have refused the vax, the answer is no….they’ll just then focus on some other nonsensical reason they shouldn’t have to take the shot. I find this whole Comirnaty argument, along with the “religious” objections to be disingenuous and inconsistent with coherent thought. In fact, that’s a true statement for almost all of the objections I’ve heard, military or otherwise. It’s a vaccine. It’s not gene therapy (not even close). Comirnaty is the “same formulation” as the EUA shot. It was developed with research used by many other pharmaceutical and consumer products that have not caused religious uproar in the past. It works. It’s not 100% effective but it still makes it far less likely that you will contract, spread, or be hospitalized by Covid. Finally, due to the nature of how vaccines work (yes, including this one), it is out of your system within the matter of a few days, which makes long term issues exceedingly unlikely. Some may have legitimate religious or medical concerns. If your doctor is recommending you avoid vaccination for whatever reason, I feel for you. If you have strong religious objections, well, maybe a horse and buggy in PA, avoiding the pitfalls of modern day life is more your style. For the vast majority though, sorry, I’m waving the bullshit flag.

There are other ways to thwart Russian aggression aside from committing American combat troops. I’’m sure the Ukrainians could become quite adept at using Apaches, Abrams’, F-16s, and any number of Western weapons platforms. US/NATO intelligence would also be a force multiplier. So would covert cyber ops/information warfare. We can make things pretty complicated for Putin without fighting him directly.

^ Me every time I hear a “meow” on guard. Seriously though, really looking forward to the finale plus the BTS when Drive to Survive covers the Saudi ‘21 race.

That may be true, but like it or not, Texas’s and California’s economies are intertwined. You live in a country that’s half blue. You don’t have to like it, but that’s reality. I choose to take a realist’s position here and “play the game” when it comes to masking. It’s such a small sacrifice, I really fail to understand all the histrionics behind the “masks are tyranny” crowd.

Agree. BUT…even if it’s theater, it makes a good portion of the population more comfortable with going about their daily lives. I look at it as a small price to pay to get people on airplanes, into stores and restaurants, keep the kids going to school, & generally keep the economy moving.

NATO’s always been as much about keeping the Germans under our thumb as it has been about deterring Soviet/Russian aggression. Don’t underestimate the good things that come from keeping virtually all of Europe under one military alliance. A peaceful Western (and now Eastern) Europe is a valid foreign policy goal for the United States and is well worth the money and effort of the last seven decades. I’d even go so far as to argue that a Europe that depends on us for defense is a GOOD thing for the United States. It allows us to continue to dictate the western world order.

Curious as to why you believe this? Ukraine is not a NATO member so why should a Russian invasion cause a crisis capable of imploding the alliance? Now, if you’re talking about a similar situation unfolding in the Baltics, you probably have a point.

This sure sounds like a headline meant to keep the conservative outrage machine going. A quick browse of the BLM website doesn’t net any evidence of a boycott of white companies. There is a “Black Xmas” section that encourages disrupting “white supremacist capitalism” by shopping in black owned businesses. A bit hyperbolic? Maybe. A “boycott” of white people? Meh. Fox trying to keep you tuned in? Definitely. Gonna bankrupt the Gap? Pfffffttttt.

Not sure what there is on the island of Formosa for the CCP to reposes? Unlike many third world nations, Taipei hasn't wanted or needed mainland Chinese help in building any of their infrastructure. The CCP effectively has no presence in Taiwan, so I think it'd be pretty hard to "reposes" anything there without assaulting it first.

The Chinese won’t invade Taiwan. The idea is to create just enough uncertainty about a U.S./Aussie/Japanese response to deter China. It’s working. Add to that the near certain threat of sanctions from the entire western world, and the fact that the Taiwanese are capable of putting a serious dent into any Chinese invasion force and the cost is simply too steep for Xi. Additionally, I don’t think the Chinese possess the organizational skills or actual operational capabilities to pull it off. Their existing infrastructure operates highly inefficiently in practice. I realize mass has a quality all its own, but they’re going to get their heads kicked in for a while before they eventually succeed. That will lead to further domestic/economic pressure that Xi doesn’t want or need at the moment. A Taiwan invasion carries with it a very real chance that the people of China, along with the CCP will lose faith in Xi’s leadership. The last thing he wants is anything that might threaten his grip on power.

Well fuck. 🍺🍺

I’ll take that as directed at me. I see your point of view & I understand where you’re coming from. Try and understand mine: I, and many others are equally confused as to how a person who is willing to give their life to this country, and make all of the other sacrifices that come with military life, is not willing to accept a vaccine that is safe, effective, and the best tool we have (at the moment) to fight a disease that has killed almost three quarters of a million Americans. I know you aren’t selfish. I know that for most of you, military service is not just a “transactional relationship” (as alluded to by some of the more hardcore libertarian types here), but is truly service before self. But I soundly reject 99% of the objections out there. Religious objections, worries about long term side effects, efficacy arguments, and almost all the other “objections” simply don’t hold water. Getting a vaccination (and yes, probably at least a couple boosters) is the single most effective thing you can do to fight COVID. Regardless, I know you and most who serve are not selfish…..far from it, and I apologize for coming across as a self righteous asshole.

You know, for most normal human beings capable of critical thought, there is a middle ground between Ayn Rand and Carl Marx.

Exactly who doesn’t “concede the point that personal choices to be unhealthy have already hurt our society far more than COVID has”? I don’t think you’ll find a doctor or public health official who doesn’t agree that loosing some weight would help an overweight person overcome COVID or any number of diseases for that matter. Vaccination is far more expedient however. For the record, I wholeheartedly agree that this country should take a far more aggressive tack when it comes to advocating healthy lifestyles. But I seem to remember Michelle Obama being roundly criticized by the right for advocating things like more exercise for kids or healthier school lunch choices. We have to be willing to put our money where our mouth is on that one.

Except vaccines work best when the majority of the population is vaccinated. Even with the less than perfect effectiveness of the current vaccines, a highly vaccinated population will give COVID far less opportunity to spread and perhaps more importantly, to mutate. Also, even young, healthy adults are highly likely to catch this bug at some point. The vaccine may well mean the difference between a case of the sniffles or an extended stay in the hospital with potential “long covid” complications down the road. Seems like a win-win to me. But what seems to be the unequivocal opinion of the nay sayers is: it’s all about me. I don’t feel vulnerable & fuck those who are (or may be going home to family members who are). I guess that’s where we’re at as a country these days. Not willing to make even small changes in our behavior for the greater good. It’s a bit depressing.

For you and the rest of the crowd who keep harping on the point that COVID disproportionately affects people with comorbidities, please help me understand the point you are trying to make: Is it that there really is no crisis since only fat and elderly people are at risk? Is it that healthy people should skip vaccination and/or other mitigation strategies? Is it that there is some sort of media conspiracy intent on hiding the truth from us? I guess my questions boil down to: Should we, as a nation/society, adopt a different strategy based on the fact that comorbidities are at a higher risk level?

If you think either party has the market cornered on hypocrisy or perversion, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.