03/17/23

Inferior Russian Tanks

We wrote about the numbers of Russian tanks back in December 2022. That blog post is here:

Russian Tanks By The Numbers 

Since then several things have happened:

 1. The Russian spring offensive began with attacks in southeast Ukraine and the continuing assault into the Bahkmut meat grinder where the Russians take seven KIAs for every one KIA for the Ukrainians.

This is the essence of a meat grinder.

 2. The Russians — even elite units — and the mercenary Wagner Group — powered by criminals — have made small progress, but appear to have taken a “tactical respite” for a couple of weeks.

The Ukrainians are doggedly defending and buying time for their own Spring/Summer dry land offensive.

 3. The US/NATO/West has promised Ukraine modern main battle tanks — Abrams M1A1, Crusaders 2s, Leopard IIs and others.

Deliveries are now happening.

Abrams tank — looking for work — arriving for deployment in Ukraine.

 4. The Russian tank situation has gotten worse from the perspective of raw numbers, tank crew training, and opposition. Continue reading

02/28/23

The Russian Manpower Advantage Myth – Or Putin In Wonderland

The Russian Spring Offensive is underway. Yawn.

Let’s talk manpower like we talked tanks the other day:

Russian Tanks By The Numbers

The Basics, Big Red Car?

Of course, dear reader, let’s lay the foundation, shall we?

 1. Russia is a country of 144,000,000 of which approximately 1,000,000 men in the prime draft age range have fled.

Crack Russian conscripts eager to fight and die in Ukraine. Haha. The smart ones fled the country.

Continue reading

02/26/23

Victory In Ukraine Versus Peace In The World

Today, I heard a lovely sermon in church. I go to this particular church because the rector gives such wonderful sermons.

The church dates from three years after the end of the Civil War and is steeped in history. It sits on one of Savannah’s gorgeous squares made all the more lovely by the azaleas that are just coming out.

It is a time to think big thoughts. Continue reading

02/24/23

The Chinese Takeout Menu — Kamikaze Drones And Other Stuff From Column Fweee

China is buying all the Russian oil it can — huge discount from their new Orc pals — and is thereby funding the Putin war machine in Ukraine. Move on, nothing to see here.

In the course of this, Putin and Xi have been playing a lot of canasta and watching porn together.

Xi Jinping is going to Moscow — something he assiduously refused to do in order not to tip his hand in support of Russian perfidy in Ukraine.

Couple of cutups saying hello at the Despotic Murderers Club, Moscow branch.

Now, he’s going to go clubbing in Moscow and intends to hook up with Putin for some quality bare chested horse riding. Continue reading

02/19/23

The Decisive Engagement – Knowing When To Fight To The Death

Recently I spoke to a fellow graduate of Virginia Military Institute and he said, “That is not the hill I want to die on.”

Both of us, being former soldiers, understood the portent of those words. There was no hill involved nor any prospect of death, but it meant what he intended it to — this was not the issue upon which to bet the entire enterprise. I agreed with him.

In business, life, relationships, the military, and the social wars that engulf our great national experiment, it is becoming progressively more difficult to sell the idea of the decisive engagement.

Bit of historic perspective

George Washington is known for being the most influential Founding Father, but he was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, a warrior chieftain, and the first two American Presidents. Sort of awkward the way I said that, but you understand what I mean.

Washington depicted after the battles of Trenton and Princeton by Charles Willson Peale, one of 8 different paintings of G Washington by Peale and his son.

Continue reading

02/6/23

This Is Really The 21st Century, Right?

I wake up early every morning and check the news, particularly the war news out of Ukraine.

I catch myself wondering if this is really the 21st century when I see a nuclear nation, Russia, invading and slaughtering a neighbor on some tired bullshit mumbled by a mad man about Nazis.

Is this actually the bloody 21st century?

Continue reading