Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Like who?

And why does it always have to be the assumption that the next guy is worse, a theory just pulled from an arse, who knows when, and parroted since like its gospel.

An equally valid theory as one which suposses that the next guy will be an absolute teddy bear.

Im equally sure there are plenty of generals who think Vlad is a complete prick and would gladly see him dead and quickly reverse his decisions.

Being at the top of a crumbling command that you know to be full of untrustworthy gangsters and incompetents, facing massive, competent and resolute forces far more capable than yours tends to help with decision making as to whether or not to go on the offensive.

Putin is bumping off powerful people inside his regime left right and center for a reason. Even you can see that. Theres no loyalty to a regime full of corruption and gangsters, nobody in the kremlin trusts each other, and many elites want Putin dead - whether for personal financial gain or for peace.

Tldr; even if the theoretical next guy had murderous intentions somehow beyond putins, he'd still have relatively little control, as within seconds of putins corpse hitting the pavement there'd be an instant bank run of self serving corruption.

Not that hard to figure out if youd actually think about it.

Youre Putins replacement. First day on the job.

You know your hierarchy to be composed of 'thieves in law' bosses, gazprom execs and 1000 shady oligarchs.

The only thing holding the shtshow together was a fear of ol vlad. And his death is on the news.

Do you (A) double down against US and EU backed forces.

(B) Take whatever payola you can from the c.i.a guy and grab what you can before the sht really hits the fan, and go live in Florida.

There's a nice video of them inflating a nice M270 MLRS decoy but no HIMARS. These decoys are a gas.

You tell me.

Would you believe it that he has all those levels of security ejmaztec ? or not? My betting is that he has, and possibly even more levels...when you have murdered as many as Putin has, the paranoia has to kick in at some point!!! And he is sure displaying some kind of mental imbalance. As you said,no outsider will get near enough to do it, and as for someone as talented as Chris Kyle ( American Sniper) getting a shot at Putin ( aside from Vladimir permanently hiding behind bullet proof glass ) would be slim in the extreme. His closest companions are a lattice-work of his ex KGB associates, and I'm pretty sure that they will protect him, as their own and their family's lives depends on Putin remaining alive. I'm not even too sure that if Prigozhin led his merry band to the Kremlin, and assaulted Putin ( assuming that Prigozhin knew where he was..) would he succeed. I just do not know that any of the "usual" methods will work with Putin..possibly a rogue Air Force officer dropping a bomb on the Kremlin???

20k for a glorified bouncy castle. Not bad business.

I would be interested to know how many profiles listed on page one's merit list stopped posting on boards immediately when thread banned also.

I sure hope you be right as the other outcome is a power vacuum with forces taking control with a bloody civil war and other former soviet states been drawn into it

I think that if 10'000 take to the streets of Moscow, Putin will first try ordinary methods of crowd control, if it's more, and it gets out of control, he will call in the military and order then to open fire. And yes, he 's capable of doing it, I believe.

Can only hope theres a western intel group having quiet chats with a potential replacement.

Surely there are prefered replacements picked out by now, even if it is just files on a desk.

China probably have their man picked out by now, paid off and ready.

Could it be China that invite Vlad for tea and a look at Xis new basement?

Oh hey Vrad, cmon down stairs, check out my new mancave.

Whole lot of wishful thinking in here.

The reality is the Chinese are gonna prop Vlad up til he wins or he dies. They don't want a failed nuclear armed state on their border.

If Putin goes, it all gets a lot harder to manage.

Meanwhile in Moldova

China knows which side its bread is buttered (hint: look at their export statistics)

China needs a strong West, to sell to.

Without functioning export markets China is fcuked.

Looks like Israel is targeting Iranian drone production at the moment,

I wonder if they asked permission from Putin first, if they were allowed to bomb Iran again.....

You never know with China, they see themselves as a globally dominant super power, unhindered by the annoyance of Western ideas like Democracy, rights etc.

Ironically they don't mind their Western created Communism.

Look at what their Comrade in Russia did, exports be damned it seems.

Most of the world isn't that concerned about Ukraine or Russian aggression, the Chinese might see this as the opening gambit of redefining the global order.

Between Russia and China, a lot of the key resources of the world are sown up.