How people get used to evil deeds

[Nithavela]

Luke 10:30-37 TPT​

Jesus replied, “There was once a Jewish man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when bandits robbed him along the way. They beat him severely, stripped him naked, and left him half dead. “Soon, a Jewish priest walking down the same road came upon the wounded man. Seeing him from a distance, the priest crossed to the other side of the road and walked right past him, not turning to help him one bit. “Later, a religious man, a Levite, came walking down the same road and likewise crossed to the other side to pass by the wounded man without stopping to help him. “Finally, another man, a Samaritan, came upon the bleeding man and was moved with tender compassion for him. He stooped down and gave him first aid, pouring olive oil on his wounds, disinfecting them with wine, and bandaging them to stop the bleeding. Lifting him up, he placed him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn. Then he took him from his donkey and carried him to a room for the night. The next morning he took his own money from his wallet and gave it to the innkeeper with these words: ‘Take care of him until I come back from my journey. If it costs more than this, I will repay you when I return.’ So, now, tell me, which one of the three men who saw the wounded man proved to be the true neighbor?” The religious scholar responded, “The one who demonstrated kindness and mercy.” Jesus said, “Go and do the same as he.”

What's the point of this reply?

 

[DaisyDay]

It may be a military trick.

Sure, but my point was that it IS in the news.

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

MOD HAT ON
THREAD WAS MOVED TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Just a reminder to read the International Politics Statement of Purpose here
MOD HAT OFF​

 

[ValeriyK2022]

What's the point of this reply?

The priest and the Levite passed by a man beaten by thieves. They thought they were doing a more important work by serving in the temple. But the Samaritan helped the sufferer. And it was the Samaritan who was praised by God, Jesus Christ. Sympathy for people is more important to God than theological conversations.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

Sure, but my point was that it IS in the news.

I didn't mean to say that there is no topic of the Russian-Ukrainian war in the news. I wanted to say that daily grief is veiled in the form of hundreds of deaths and other misfortunes. It is shown as if it is a computer game or chess. Pain, a sea of blood, tears and other grief are not shown.

Perhaps this is facilitated by our and Russian politicians, who always smile at the cameras in front of foreign journalists. I don't understand those smiles during daily mass funerals. And I don't understand this attitude towards human lives. Even Christ wept at the tomb of Lazarus. And here no one cries when there are hundreds and hundreds of new graves every day.

 

[Gene2memE]

Why It's Now Almost Impossible For Ukraine To Win The War

It’s hard to admit, but every day, the chance of a Ukrainian victory moves further away. Kyiv is running out of troops and equipment. The enemy is better prepared and has significant reinforcements at its disposal. It’s no surprise, then, that the talk among Western diplomats is of a truce.

worldcrunch.com

Most of that article is wildly inaccurate, and what little of it is accurate is so already outdated or so slanted as to be misleading.

1. Western nations continue to increase support for Ukraine - witness, in direct opposition to the content of the article, the recent commitments and deliveries of western tanks and additional artillery and air defense systems
2. Ukraine has largely restored/replaced the critical infrastructure damaged or destroyed by Russia's missile & drone campaign (with the notable exception of ground transportation infrastructure).
3. Russia can't launch an offensive at any time. Russia's general winter offensive broke down rather rapidly due to supply issues and has been canalised into two very lopsided urban engagements. Russian forces in Ukraine don't have the ability to support penetrations in depth of Ukrainian defenses. Ukraine has a significant advantage thanks to shorter ground lines of control.
4. Ukraine isn't running out of people to fight the war. Ukraine has expanded its armed forces from ~220,000 to ~700,000 and has more manpower than it can fully absorb, equip and properly train. Reportedly, the country has a pool of more than 300,000 volunteers for the TDF and Reserves that haven't been inducted, because there still isn't the organisational capacity to deal with them
5. Russia can't just conscript it's way out of trouble. The spring conscription intake wasn't 500,000 men, or even 200,000. It was 147,000 - or just 20,000 more than in peacetime. Russia's large autumn intake of 300,000 conscripts was bigger than it could handle - the country doesn't have the training infrastructure or organisation to cope with anything of that size.
6. Russia's equipment advantage is being whittled down (rapidly), to the extent they're rolling out T-54s from storage as assault guns/mobile artillery. Visually confirmed Russian equipment losses has passed 10,000 pieces, including more than 1100 tanks destroyed and another 550 captured, as well as more than 700 mobile and fixed artillery systems

 

[ValeriyK2022]

In my opinion, a protracted war exhausts Russia, but destroys Ukraine.

If the original plan was: Ukraine
quickly liberates its territories with Western weapons, at least to the level of February 23, 2022, and then the Western countries wear down Russia with sanctions until Russia gives up the rest of the territories and compensates for the losses.

Now more and more often voices are being heard that it is necessary to wage a war for the complete victory of Ukraine over Russia, so that Russia would give up nuclear weapons and the power in Moscow would change. At the same time, people from both sides are massively sent to death and, as a result, a very high mortality rate on both sides. As a Christian, I cannot say that this is a good means to an end (mass death on both sides).

It is one thing to bomb enemy equipment, and another thing to grind people in a meat grinder: enemies and our own. If there are people on the forum who understand military affairs, then they can tell you: is there an option to return the occupied territories with less loss of people?

 

[ValeriyK2022]

 

[ValeriyK2022]

In Russia, every year on May 9, in addition to the military parade, a demonstration of the "immortal regiment" was held, in which relatives of soldiers who died in wars marched with their portraits. There is a version that this year the Russian authorities are afraid to shock society with the scale of human losses in the war in Ukraine.

"In fact, the (Russian) authorities are afraid that the participants of the procession may draw attention to the scale of Russian losses" during the war against Ukraine, according to the British Ministry of Defence. (BBC: "Привернуть увагу до масштабу втрат" в Україні: чому в Росії скасували ходу "Безсмертного полку" - BBC News Україна)

The Ukrainian side also classified the number of losses in the war for its society.

 

[Hans Blaster]

In my opinion, a protracted war exhausts Russia, but destroys Ukraine.

If the original plan was: Ukraine
quickly liberates its territories with Western weapons, at least to the level of February 23, 2022, and then the Western countries wear down Russia with sanctions until Russia gives up the rest of the territories and compensates for the losses.

What "original plan" is this? Who's plan and when does it date to?

Now more and more often voices are being heard that it is necessary to wage a war for the complete victory of Ukraine over Russia, so that Russia would give up nuclear weapons and the power in Moscow would change. At the same time, people from both sides are massively sent to death and, as a result, a very high mortality rate on both sides. As a Christian, I cannot say that this is a good means to an end (mass death on both sides).

While losing the war could definitely cause regime change in Moscow, I don't know of anyone who thinks it would result in Russia giving up nuclear weapons, nor of anyone demanding Russia give up nuclear weapons as a condition of peace. A citation would be good here.

It is one thing to bomb enemy equipment, and another thing to grind people in a meat grinder: enemies and our own. If there are people on the forum who understand military affairs, then they can tell you: is there an option to return the occupied territories with less loss of people?

That's really up to Putin. So long as he not only won't give them back and withdraw, but tries to conquer more, there really isn't a way other than for Ukraine to attack Russian forces.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

What "original plan" is this? Who's plan and when does it date to?

While losing the war could definitely cause regime change in Moscow, I don't know of anyone who thinks it would result in Russia giving up nuclear weapons, nor of anyone demanding Russia give up nuclear weapons as a condition of peace. A citation would be good here.

That's really up to Putin. So long as he not only won't give them back and withdraw, but tries to conquer more, there really isn't a way other than for Ukraine to attack Russian forces.

1. I don’t know who is planning, but the presidents of the United States and Ukraine announced this last spring. On the first or second day of the war, US President Joe Biden told Ukrainians that the war would last weeks or months (rather than a year or two). After the first victories in battles last spring, President Zelensky of Ukraine said that our task is to reach the borders on February 23, 2023, because the lives of our citizens are more important to us than the assault on Crimea or Donetsk.

2. I, too, cannot now quote such a quote, since it was said not by officials, but by analysts. The logic was that as long as Russia had nuclear weapons, it could not be defeated militarily. And if it is impossible to defeat it by military means, then it is impossible to change the leadership to one that would 100% suit the neighbors.

3. In Ukraine, there is no other way out, but in Western countries, it seems to me, there is such a weapon, which is connected not with killing a Russian soldiers, but with neutralizing their weapons and thus driving them out of the territory of Ukraine. And then seat both sides at the negotiating table (tripartite).

4. Ukrainian residents cannot be allowed to be killed in this meat grinder: you need remember that Ukraine is now a shield for all of Europe from Russia.

5. Some Christians may say that the Christian forum is not the place to discuss military aid. But Christ said that the hungry must be fed, the naked must be clothed, and the sick must be visited. A person can die not only from hunger and cold, but also from a military attack. For example, F-16 planes are rusting in US warehouses, whereas if they had been given to us last year, then they would shoting down russian missiles and there would have been no civilians killed in the rear. At least for this. And in general, the countries of the West, which together are 20-30 times stronger than Russia, could stop this aggression. To protect people from murder is as much a mercy as to feed the hungry or clothe the naked. Remember Kuwait.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

Russian rocket killed 20 residents of an apartment building in Uman, Kyiv region:

 

[Hans Blaster]

1. I don’t know who is planning, but the presidents of the United States and Ukraine announced this last spring. On the first or second day of the war, US President Joe Biden told Ukrainians that the war would last weeks or months (rather than a year or two). After the first victories in battles last spring, President Zelensky of Ukraine said that our task is to reach the borders on February 23, 2023, because the lives of our citizens are more important to us than the assault on Crimea or Donetsk.

OK.

2. I, too, cannot now quote such a quote, since it was said not by officials, but by analysts. The logic was that as long as Russia had nuclear weapons, it could not be defeated militarily. And if it is impossible to defeat it by military means, then it is impossible to change the leadership to one that would 100% suit the neighbors.

This is the kind of claim that analysts who won't admit that nuclear superpowers have lost wars make (US: Vietnam; USSR: Afghanistan).

3. In Ukraine, there is no other way out, but in Western countries, it seems to me, there is such a weapon, which is connected not with killing a Russian soldiers, but with neutralizing their weapons and thus driving them out of the territory of Ukraine. And then seat both sides at the negotiating table (tripartite).

I'm not sure what you are talking about here. What is "the weapon".

4. Ukrainian residents cannot be allowed to be killed in this meat grinder: you need remember that Ukraine is now a shield for all of Europe from Russia.

And Europe is working to help Ukraine defend itself. Perhaps not as well as it could, but Europe does seem to understand that unchecked Russian aggression in Ukraine is a threat to them.

5. Some Christians may say that the Christian forum is not the place to discuss military aid. But Christ said that the hungry must be fed, the naked must be clothed, and the sick must be visited. A person can die not only from hunger and cold, but also from a military attack. For example, F-16 planes are rusting in US warehouses, whereas if they had been given to us last year, then they would shoting down russian missiles and there would have been no civilians killed in the rear.

Jets don't rust and are poor defenders against missiles. They are not some panacea and are most effective with a full deployment of air superiority forces. Air defense systems are what Ukraine needs more than fighter jets. They are much more useful against civilian terror attacks.

At least for this. And in general, the countries of the West, which together are 20-30 times stronger than Russia, could stop this aggression. To protect people from murder is as much a mercy as to feed the hungry or clothe the naked. Remember Kuwait.

I think you overestimate the superiority of NATO forces, but yes they could establish fairly quickly air superiority over the occupied parts of Ukraine and likely into margins of Russia. That would be huge step toward transforming this into a wider war in Europe. Unlike Putin's fingerwagging about "escalation" with new weapons systems or training, such a move by US/NATO really would be an escalation. (It isn't going to happen.)

 

[ValeriyK2022]

I'm not sure what you are talking about here. What is "the weapon".

Jets don't rust and are poor defenders against missiles. They are not some panacea and are most effective with a full deployment of air superiority forces. Air defense systems are what Ukraine needs more than fighter jets. They are much more useful against civilian terror attacks.

I think you overestimate the superiority of NATO forces, but yes they could establish fairly quickly air superiority over the occupied parts of Ukraine and likely into margins of Russia. That would be huge step toward transforming this into a wider war in Europe. Unlike Putin's fingerwagging about "escalation" with new weapons systems or training, such a move by US/NATO really would be an escalation. (It isn't going to happen.)

I speak some English and write through google translator. So maybe I'm not expressing my thoughts clearly enough.

The idea is to destroy weapons caches, not grind soldiers on the front lines. If there are no weapons, then the Russian soldiers will retreat on their own.

As for the aircraft, both Ukrainian pilots and pilots of other countries say that the F-16 can better than ground-based air defenses close the sky from enemy missiles.

Escalation Ukraine also does not need. But the Russians have repeatedly said on their military talk shows over the past six months that they have underestimated both Ukraine and Western aid. The Russians also say that they fell into a trap, since the West initially played a giveaway, showing visible weakness. That is, they directly say that they were provoked by the fact that Western showed weakness. If they had known in advance how difficult it would be, they would not have attacked. Therefore, a demonstration of weakness leads to escalation, and not a demonstration of strength and solidarity.

They expected venality from Ukrainians, and indifference from the West. And they were wrong.

Nobody says that it is necessary to attack the territory of Russia. As long as Ukraine and the West have not crossed Russia's internationally recognized borders, there should be no escalation. Well, maybe even for the Crimea, Russia will hold on very well and begin to escalate. But not for territories captured after February 23, 2022. Talk about them first.

But the question is not even that. The question is how to reduce the number of deaths in the war of the inhabitants of Ukraine. To do this, you need to: 1) close the sky from enemy missiles; 2) to destroy weapons and ammunition even before they get to the assault squads of Russian soldiers.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

War is not a computer game or a chess game. War is grief, blood and tears. War is the suffering of soldiers and their loved ones.
This is how the man went to war.

Such a man came from the war:

Sergii
“The most difficult for me - to wake up in total darkness” - he says.
The young combat who went through true hell - Marianivka, Pisky, Liman lost his both legs, his vision for our lives! He isn’t the only one Ukrainian soldier who suffering from dramatic injuries there are many of them that sacrificed everything for us.
There is still hope to restore his vision

Please, #suport and #share

Attaching his sister account below

Анна Александрова (@aleksandrovaaa_ph) • Instagram photos and videos

Photos by @libkos

#ukrainian #veteran #medicalassistant #helpukraine #savelives

 

[Hans Blaster]

Nobody says that it is necessary to attack the territory of Russia. As long as Ukraine and the West have not crossed Russia's internationally recognized borders, there should be no escalation. Well, maybe even for the Crimea, Russia will hold on very well and begin to escalate. But not for territories captured after February 23, 2022. Talk about them first.

Agreed.

But the question is not even that. The question is how to reduce the number of deaths in the war of the inhabitants of Ukraine.

A swift victory would be one way, but "swift" is a relative term.

To do this, you need to: 1) close the sky from enemy missiles;

Right now Ukrainian air defense is 85-90% effective. Some, but not much improvement is available. Reducing Russian launch capacity is the next level. Are efforts being made to eliminate the Black Sea Fleet? (perhaps) The rest of the launch platforms (planes over Russian and Belarus, ships on the Caspian Sea) are realistically out of range to target. (The loss of Iran as a supplier would also put a crimp in the Russian supply.)

2) to destroy weapons and ammunition even before they get to the assault squads of Russian soldiers.

Russia has dispersed and moved back ammunition depos and other logistics since Ukraine got high precision longer range (~100 km) missiles.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

Right now Ukrainian air defense is 85-90% effective. Some, but not much improvement is available. Reducing Russian launch capacity is the next level. Are efforts being made to eliminate the Black Sea Fleet? (perhaps) The rest of the launch platforms (planes over Russian and Belarus, ships on the Caspian Sea) are realistically out of range to target. (The loss of Iran as a supplier would also put a crimp in the Russian supply.)

Despite this, too many people still die. Kyiv region is the heart of Ukraine. And look what happens:

It is written on the first photo that the child was 3-4 years old and did not do anything bad to anyone.

But even more mental traumas. Children of soldiers, their mothers and wives at the graves of fallen soldiers...

Perhaps the war goals are built somehow incorrectly. Perhaps, in the pursuit of inflicting maximum damage on the enemy, they forget about saving the lives of the inhabitants of Ukraine. What is the benefit for the Ukrainians if there will no Russia, but the Ukrainians are either disabled or dead? It is clear that we are placed in a hopeless situation. But maybe the world community can do more to save lives of people?

 

[ValeriyK2022]

When there was a war in Afghanistan or in Vietnam, everything was shrouded in secrecy. Those who were not there knew nothing, and those who were There not told everything. And now the war in Ukraine is almost online and everyone is used to it.

For example, today in Kherson the Russians fired at the only supermarket in the city (Before the war, 280,000 people lived in the city.):

Whom else in America should write about preventing the death of people, if not Christians?

 

[ValeriyK2022]

As a result of today's shelling by the Russian military of the Ukrainian city of Kherson and the Kherson region, 21 people were killed and 46 were injured. As "Ukrzaliznytsia" reports, the occupiers hit a passenger railcar too.

Унаслідок обстрілу Херсонщини вже загинула 21 людина, 48 - поранені

Унаслідок російських обстрілів в середу у Херсонській області загинула 21 людина, попередньо 48 поранені. — Укрінформ.

www.ukrinform.ua

 

[ValeriyK2022]

A year ago, in spring Arestovich, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, said that Ukraine was turning into Israel. But for this year, one thing that makes us similar to Israel is the quintity of the enemy. But the way the war is waged is completely different. Israel occupied the necessary territories with lightning speed and then focused on the security of its people. Technologically superior to numerous opponents, Israel has always suffered minor losses. This cannot be said about Ukraine. Recently it was reported that the loss of Ukraine 17 thousand people. But the question arises why, then, the Ministry of Defense mobilized more than 170 thousand to make up for losses in the last 3 months alone?

Some analysts say that, yes, the West could provide such weapons that you would quickly liberate your territories. But then he says: why? What difference does it make to you: to fight with Russia near Bakhmut and Avdiivka or on the border with Russia. There is a theory that Russia will not stop in the war until it is completely defeated. But if Israel's goal was to destroy the entire Arab world, what would happen to Israel? How many Israelis would die? Would that be in the interests of the Israelis? Is it in the interests of Ukrainians to destroy both Russia and themselves? Wouldn't it be better to imitate Israel: reach the borders with lightning speed on February 23, 2022, and then turn your country into an impregnable fortress, where neither missiles can reach, nor thousands of soldiers die? Just then need to go on the defensive and be a shield for both your population and the population of Europe. And grinding enemy and friendly soldiers in a meat grinder is some kind of barbaric method of warfare. Israel doesn't fight like that.

There is a Russian proverb: who pays, he calls the music. It seems to many that it is just diplomatic etiquette to say that Ukraine can wage war as it sees fit. In fact, most likely, the word of our allies who help us is decisive. If the US wants Ukraine to become like Israel, then Ukraine becomes like Israel, but if the US wants Ukraine to become like Afghanistan, then Ukraine becomes like Afghanistan in Europe. Our government says that it decides everything by itself. But many do not believe: look at our YouTube (everyone looks to the USA with hope).