I have a couple good rules of thumb.

What are the experts saying? Not the loud people, the experts. Incredible news would have them talking.

Would the reverse of an idea also be true? If the president is responsible for high gas prices, do people agree he’d be responsible for low ones?

Does the idea try to make me feel? If there’s clear emotional intent in a story, the facts are probably being shaped to fit the narrative.

Do I see evidence of the widespread problem here? Should I? I remember an article about a couple who flew short hops across the US, and they said at every stop the story was “things are horrible everywhere, we’re just lucky they’re good here.”

Do I hear people using the same talking points, but they get confused when you ask for details? Often this is a story made to make you feel, not think.

Welcome to the Prucker Nation!

They’re a lot like american seperatists, but with a large bank roller behind them (russia).

How many men can she hold in there again? A full platoon?

I agree with both of you in principle, but who really had N Korea troops in meat wave assaults on their 2024 bingo cards?

I am personally looking for a few things that will concern me about escalation:

• Japan and Finland making active land claims to Russia (actively reoccupying disputed land with troops)

• Europe putting peace keepers in Western Ukraine (which will create a casus belli for war with Russia), specifically France and the UK. I mean, Poland as well, but if Poland says they are putting peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, Russia should either back off or assume war.

• South Korean troops in Ukraine. (Ridiculous given their current chaos, but stranger things have happened in the last year).

Other than that, the russian frog has been very well boiled for 3 years. Even China has probably gone back to the drawing board on a taiwan invasion, and added a delay until 10 millions drones are available.

I do have concerns trump will pull the us back in europe, making the second item above possible if not likely. The first trump presidency shook us primacy in europe, and the second may see it start to unravel. If europe has to take russia alone, the us should consider china a personal problem from now on (as well as any other concerns not near europe), as no one will see value in going to war with a fair-weather ally.

Lemmy is slowly accumulating mass - I’d really love it if we gained a number of strong niche communities, but didn’t turn into a reddit due to mass influx.

They really should have done this after the election. America needs to be made to back out like a coward from an ongoing conflict for shame to work.

It’s sea real estate.

Yes, because I have fixed goals that are for what I consider the greater good of humanity, and an unlimited amount could be spent on them.

How close does the other species need to be to transmit? Could I catch something from a dog, or even a republican?

Must have been controlling it with a mouse.

Edit: and I mean a living, terrified little mouse, wearing a little flight suit and aviator goggles and slightly drunk on vodka.

I do have serious concerns trump will draw back us forces due to whatever compromising material is out there. I tend to believe putin has material that will allow Ivanka to escape her pre-nup and take trump to the cleaners.

I know, they’re gathering like witches at black masses!

We hear so little about the Chinese station, but it’s pretty impressive

I’m told you are supposed to pick up the good ones.

Automation.

If this ends with russia sending the US cheap oil and american partisans blowing up refineries, I am going to need a new bingo card.

I hope this is a thunder run with good support troops following in to fill the gap. A big wedge here crimps russian logistics as it grows.

That’s a big point… when you degrade a battalion, you degrade (generally) the line troops. There are support troops, admin, logistics, etc associated that are not generally killed. A truck strike like those vehicles gets everyone.