My take on what is happening is Russia

[malaise]

Putin is extremely vulnerable because he failed to keep Trump in place.

Watch the proceedings.

[DonaldsRump]

1. Ding, ding, ding!

You win the internet today, Malaise. Vlad the Hacker is going to be paying a mighty price for what he did. And I think US intelligence and national security, and possibly military, will go after him and his thugs with glee and vengeance.

[MarcA]

4. Really wouldn't want a SEAL Team visit to the Kremlin, but

wouldn't mind him having to worry about it.

[GoCubsGo]

11. He doesn't even need to send a SEAL team.

Remember what Obama did to Iran? The Stuxnet and other cyber attacks that Obama ordered are small potatoes compared to what our intelligence/security agencies are capable of doing to Russia. They could probably shut down Russia's whole damn power grid, if they want, among other things.

[Walleye]

2. Putin underestimated us. He thought trumps dictatorship would prevail

[soothsayer]

3. I do so hope this is the case

He’s burrowed in like a tick, but who can say.

I finally watched Navalny’s long but excellent video on Putin’s Palace. Holy moly.

[2naSalit]

14. I have it bookmarked but haven't watched it yet.

Sometime in the near future.

[soothsayer]

19. It's fascinating. Carve out some time and make yourself comfy

Very educational.

[2naSalit]

22. I'm planning on it...

I started watching it yesterday but was tired and was having trouble reading the subs. It's rare to get real information about and/or from that place.

[shanti]

23. I missed that one

do you have a link to the video?

[Skraxx]

5. I Also Think Biden Wasted No Time Unleashing Our Intel Agencies

Payback's a bitch, Putie.

[malaise]

6. Biden should focus on the USA

There are more than enough problems at home

[Skraxx]

7. He Is, His Intel Agencies However

Need to do what needs to be done. They've been held back, but not anymore.

[BannonsLiver]

16. +1

Exactly right. The FBI is largely responsible for surveillance of domestic terrorists. The CIA largely handles the international stuff. Point being we can walk and chew gum at the same time if these entities are allowed to do so.

[DonaldsRump]

8. I don't agree

A capable leader like President Biden with a great and highly experienced staff is capable of multi-tasking. Russia is a serious threat to the stability of the US even now. And I am not talking militarily at the moment. I'm talking about psy-ops using social media to disrupt our country, elections etc.

Our intelligence and national security are more than capable of taking care of this. The problem was, as you point out, Trump let Vlad the Tea Man have the unfettered ability to attack the US in multiple ways (as well as the EU, NATO etc) for four years. That stops because it has to stop.

[malaise]

12. Then why do you object to Russia interfering in US politics? n/t

[DonaldsRump]

15. All's fair in love and war

I get your point. The US has extended its reach all over the world, sometimes acceptably and sometimes unacceptably.

However, this is war of a different sort, so I want my country to fight back. It hasn't for four years, and look at what's happened. The fabric of the world and the US has been disintegrating because there was no country to serve as the world's policeman. Trump let Putin roll all over us to the extent that bounties were placed on our military etc. That cannot stand.

Vladimir Putin has one view of the world, and President Biden has a diametrically opposite view. Those views directly clash. The US can't ignore it since the interference, electronically and otherwise, is directly on our soil.

[Skraxx]

18. Also, Russia and Putin Have SERIOUSLY ESCALATED The Confiict

Because under Trump, they knew they could get away with it. No more Mr. Nice guy.

There's significant evidence that it's not JUST the election tampering and meddling, but actual physical attacks on US Citizens on US soil (and all over the globe) via microwave weaponry (no, I'm not kidding).

https://www.gq.com/story/cia-investigation-and-russian-microwave-attacks

[Turin_C3PO]

9. He is but

the Russia Problem must be dealt with. They’ve been very successful in creating conspiracy theories that millions latch onto and fomenting chaos. It has to stop.

[lunatica]

35. What would Russian intel agents do domestically?

They should be put to work doing what they are supposed to do. Biden is smart to use all and every agency at his disposal right away.

The good thing about Biden is that he already knows all this. No learning curve required.

[getagrip_already]

10. putin is in failing health....

He is reported to have parkinsons and it is advancing quickly.

So the power vacuum is set for the forces to fight over it.

[Chainfire]

25. Perhaps that makes him even more dangerous.

[BannonsLiver]

13. Vulnerable to what?

And who is he accountable to?

[malaise]

20. Forces that would overthrow him n/t

[BannonsLiver]

24. What forces?

Rogue Oligarchs? A mass uprising of the Russian citizenry?

[malaise]

32. The oligarchs are a factor but never forget that the army cant function without the people

I do wonder if the oligarchs also have competing interests

[Wellstone ruled]

17. Life for the typical Russian

has steadily deteriorated in the last five years. Issues with consumer goods as well as a sustained food supplies seem to be at levels of the old Stalin days.

Remember,Obama Sanctions on Capital is and has slapped Putin up side the head in a major way. Russia needs Currency via trade and their number one commodity is Oil followed by Rare Earth Metals. From what is being reported in the European Press,things are going from bad to worse and the Peasants are Hungry and they will through Putin to the curb.

[DonaldsRump]

21. Remember, though, that Vlad the Poisoner controls the Russian media

For many Russians, he is the new Czar returning Russia to its glory days (whenever that might have been). There are uprisings, because Putin's censorship is not absolute. However, it is remarkable how popular he is in Russia and the Russian community.

For the last 4 years, since Putin's puppet Trump let him have free rein over the US and the world, that really strengthened Putin. I don't think it's a coincidence that the uprisings are occurring just as Trump is gone. Maybe it is, but I doubt it.

I have to add Mr. Navalny is an extremely brave person. I truly hope he survives.

[Wellstone ruled]

26. Oh man does he ever..

And he uses RT as one of his major Propaganda Machine.

[DonaldsRump]

27. I remember watching in the mid-2000s when it was Russia Today

And I remember thinking what a breath of fresh air! Now, I realize what a joke it is. It might not have started out that way, but it is pathetic, as much as its chief sponsor is pathetic (and deadly dangerous).

I guess with the advance of years comes a small bit of wisdom!

[Wellstone ruled]

28. Have to say,

yes it was refreshing at first,then came 2015 and Putin's full blown successful destruction of Hillary Clinton and the anointment of Diaper Don.

[DonaldsRump]

30. Ah, well, so I wasn't hallucinating! I do recall Russia Today being quite eye-opening way back then

I think RT started to turn around the time Putin started to turn. Remember all the euphoria about the "peace dividend" after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991? President Clinton and Boris Yeltsin became great friends, and I think the US and Russia were the closest they had been since WWII.

I remember seeing a bio of Putin. When Clinton first met Putin, he later told Yeltsin that he might have made the wrong choice to be his successor.

Even as late as Fall 2004, during the W/Kerry Presidential Debates, I specifically remember Bush referring to Putin as "Vlad" as if they were buddies.

According to Bill Browder, something changed with Putin thereafter, and that something was corruption. And the 2011 "Arab Spring" terrified Putin so much, he thought the same fate might befall him. Indeed, HRC made no bones about how bad Putin was. Then Bill Browder pushed hard to get the Magnitsky Act passed in the US, ultimately being signed into law in 2012 and freezing Putin's henchmen's cash in US financial institutions.

That was, I think, where Trump came in. As they say, the rest is history. And RT has been there every step of the way.

Russia: if you're listening, payback ain't fun, is it? And it's only just begun.

[malaise]

33. Life for the average citizen in most countries has deteriorated

The wealthy in most countries have grabbed everything for themselves

[Wellstone ruled]

37. Oh so true.

Fifty years of austerity and other wealth transfer via ugly Tax Codes has done a real negative job on most countries.

Now with Climate Change being obvious and having effects on every Country,the horse is out of the barn and likely hood of it put back,looking not so good.

[FakeNoose]

29. Covid is hitting them hard in Russia, there's nobody at the top

... pushing for mask-wearing or social distancing. Sort of like us a year ago.

Not sure how many deaths due to Covid (compared to US numbers) because they're being secretive about it. One thing we've done is to honestly report our numbers of infected and dying to the rest of the world. It's nothing to be proud of, but I'm glad we aren't giving out fake numbers like Russia, China and other countries.

[CabalPowered]

31. This is all Putin

Most Russians don't give a crap about Trump.

Three things have sparked this: Putin's James Bond villain lair finally revealed. Navalny being arrested. And a recorded call where the alleged hitman basically admits he did everything that he was asked to do.

Getting info out of Russia is extremely difficult at the moment but what my friends have told me in the past two days is alarming and doesn't appear to be reported in western media:

Protests are literally spontaneous and in some cases are not organized in any shape but just citizens going out and seeing other citizens.

There hasn't been anything this big since the 90's.

Intrastate traffic has been severely curtailed. Access to some cities has been cut off at the edges to prevent more protestors from reaching the cities.

Those arrested are released to house arrest for 30 days and have a tracking app installed on their phone.

There's a growing contingent of protestors who vow to not quit until Putin's is homeless. Not just removed from office but homeless.

[malaise]

34. Thanks for this

[CabalPowered]

36. Happy to help

Will pass on any other tidbits I pickup from WhatsApp.