Probably three zeroes too many, but still a nice pile of money, and it's not really given to Ukraine, it's given to the arms manufacturers who supply the weapons we give to Ukraine.
But that's just couch money compared to all the profits to be made rebuilding the country. All that juicy infrastructure just waiting to be seized when they can't pay back the very reasonable loans we give them. Privatize all the things!
Re: Russian-Ukrainian War: Live Thread
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:37 pm
by MacCruiskeen
Gonzalo Lira has been reporting and commenting very bravely from Ukraine every day for well over a month now. Weeks ago, he told his readers & listeners that if they heard nothing from him for 12 hours or more, they should presume he'd been arrested or killed.
The last thing he posted to YT was this Zoom interview with Scott Ritter:
Two days ago Lira went silent on all channels (Twitter, Telegram, YouTube). Now there is an unconfirmed report that neighbours in Kharkov witnessed him being arrested at the apartment where he's been living undercover.
It is now safe to assume that @realGonzaloLira has either been abducted by the SBU or killed by Nazi paramilitary units in Kharkov city. Several people from inside the city have messaged me and internet works fine. I ask @ChileMFA to look into this matter as he is from Chile!
"I am sorry of the bearer of bad news, Unfortunately, Gonzalo Lira has been arrested by Ukrainians 2 days ago in his new apartment in Kharkov . Source...from some neighbour opposite his apartment"
God help him.
Re: Russian-Ukrainian War: Live Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:35 pm
by alloneword
^^ Chilling, but somewhat unsurprising news about Lira.
Graham Phillips interviews (British Merc) Aiden Aslin:
After watching all that, I've come to the conclusion that this 'soldier of (mis)fortune' is so dim that he would remain invisible even if floodlit.
He claims to have the permission of the DPR leadership to be exchanged (along with another UK dickhead citizen combatant, Shaun Pinner) for the Ukrainian opposition politician (and friend of Putin) Viktor Medvedchuk, for which he directly appeals to 'Boris' Johnson.
Medvedchuk was being offered by the Ukranians as an exchange for sparing the remaining Azov/etc in (an ever shrinking area of) the Azovstal works in Mariupol, who are currently receiving the full attention of the DNPR malitia, Chechens, the RF army and now the RF Airforce long range bombers.
Perhaps the Russians are merely waiting for there to be no Azov remaining - or any Azovstal, even - after which 'Boris' and the ghouls in Whitehall can make the appropriate decision and perhaps let the Ukrainians know.
'Courage, Mom'.
Re: Russian-Ukrainian War: Live Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2022 8:25 pm
by drstrangelove
MacCruiskeen » Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:37 pm wrote:Gonzalo Lira has been reporting and commenting very bravely from Ukraine every day for well over a month now. Weeks ago, he told his readers & listeners that if they heard nothing from him for 12 hours or more, they should presume he'd been arrested or killed.
The last thing he posted to YT was this Zoom interview with Scott Ritter:
Two days ago Lira went silent on all channels (Twitter, Telegram, YouTube). Now there is an unconfirmed report that neighbours in Kharkov witnessed him being arrested at the apartment where he's been living undercover.
It is now safe to assume that @realGonzaloLira has either been abducted by the SBU or killed by Nazi paramilitary units in Kharkov city. Several people from inside the city have messaged me and internet works fine. I ask @ChileMFA to look into this matter as he is from Chile!
"I am sorry of the bearer of bad news, Unfortunately, Gonzalo Lira has been arrested by Ukrainians 2 days ago in his new apartment in Kharkov . Source...from some neighbour opposite his apartment"
God help him.
Surprised it didn't happen sooner. He was in the zone. Gotta read the room. He'll be lucky if he doesn't catch a stray bullet.
Expressing view that aligns with Russian position = aiding Russian justification for war = Russian continuation of war = dead Ukrainians
that gets reduced to Expressing view = dead Ukrainians. Try arguing with an armed reductionist.
Re: Russian-Ukrainian War: Live Thread
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:32 pm
by JackRiddler
.
(news obviously also fits in the Suppression of Media thread.)
Scott Ritter confirms murder of Gonzalo Lira.
Gonzo-Lira.jpg
*
Ben Norton interview on his being crossed out by New York Times.
Gonzalo Lira is trending on Chilean twitter, but Chilean media/govt has been largely silent on his disappearance. Is it because he had a different view on Ukraine than the @gabrielboric-led govt ? Looks like Boric's commitment to "human rights" doesn't extend to all Chileans ...
11:03 AM · Apr 20, 2022·
HablaNews
@HablaNews
·
22h
Gonzalo Lira alleged the #DailyBeast would be to blame for his disappearance, as they reached out to #Ukrainian Government to give up his location.
"When I say that The Daily Beast wants to kill me, I'm not being hyperbolic."
Fate of American Zelensky critic who went missing in Ukraine revealed Gonzalo Lira said he had been taken by the Ukrainian Security Service last Friday
Glad he's alive, but his past, present and future commentary on Ukraine has largely been invalidated by this. He repeatedly claimed he would surely be tortured and killed if the SBU caught him. Perhaps that was the reason for SBU letting him go unharmed. But still...
Replying to @b075m4nn:
i wouldn’t go that far. first, it was by emphasising these fears and putting them all over the internet, that he likely saved himself. also, he was wrong about various things, given to hyperbole, etc. doesn’t mean everything he said is worthless.
Replying to @eugyppius1:
Yeah, I just wouldn't take his commentary as a neutral, objective source of "eyes-on-the-ground" information on its own.
Actually, I'd assume everything he says in public from this point on is what SBU want the public to think about the Ukraine conflict. At least what SBU wants the loosely pro-Russian side to think about the conflict. They didn't just release him out of the goodness of their hearts
@eugyppius1:
·
he never states clearly that he's been released, and he refuses to comment on the conflict at all. then he cuts his statement short. i think he was allowed or encouraged to release a brief proof-of-life statement.
^^ This whole story is increasingly weird, spooky even. Gonzalo Lira (The Man in the Red Baseball Cap) is nothing if not recognisable, especially as soon as he opens his mouth: Even after seven years in the Ukraine, and despite marrying a Ukrainian and having kids with her, he says he speaks no Ukrainian or Russian. (Really? So little interest in languages? Remember he grew up bilingual, or so he says.) Then war breaks out, and for over a month he broadcasts daily from the warzone to the world *, via YouTube, Telegram & Twitter, incessantly disparaging Zelensky & predicting inevitable defeat for his regime.
He is entirely unhindered and apparently undetectable. (Really? Even while broadcasting?)
Why does he take the risk? He says it's because he hates dictators and Nazis and liars and murderers and torturers.
Suddenly, like many other people in the Ukraine, he disappears . (Es uno de los desaparecidos.)
I don't claim to know what's going on here, but I'd suggest being careful about it.
* But only in English -- not even once in Spanish, as far as I know. He says it's his native language, yet he just ignores a potential audience of half a billion people?
Dunno about Lira, either. I had him down as a bit of a gobshite, bit of a dickhead, obviously enjoying his newfound notoriety (and likely hoping to monetise it, if possible) but generally harmless and offering an interesting perspective. I'd probably buy him a beer.
Perhaps I watch(ed) him because he's the only anglophone non-Russophobe on that side of the frontline (bait?), or maybe it was just morbid curiosity to see if the SBU would kick his door in and neckshot him in the middle of a livestream?
He says he''s still in Kharkov, and forbidden to leave the city. He says the SBU took his smartphone but allowed him to keep his laptop and internet connection.
