[HN Gopher] Invasion Failing Because Russian Intel Embezzled Bil...
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       Invasion Failing Because Russian Intel Embezzled Billions Intended
       for Bribes?
        
       Author : cwwc
       Score  : 5 points
       Date   : 2022-03-24 22:41 UTC (21 minutes ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.thelowdownblog.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.thelowdownblog.com)
        
       | metadat wrote:
       | This theory explains some of the oddities we've observed up to
       | this point.
       | 
       | Remember how putin told the commandos they'd be welcomed by
       | Ukraine? Makes a lot more sense in this light.
       | 
       | No air domination plans? Russians weren't expecting any real
       | resistance..
        
       | ggm wrote:
       | An aspect of this story which I find puzzling, is the implication
       | the embezzlement is somehow "hidden" from Putin. This has an odd
       | effect. It implies he is not actually in control and aware of his
       | economy, and it allows SOME people to argue he is not complicit
       | in all horrors because he isn't aware of them.
       | 
       | I tend to a different view: He knows about the embezzlement and
       | is complicit in it. He just thought that irrespective, he would
       | win in 72 hours. Once it became obvious he wouldn't win in 72
       | hours he had to move to a different strategy, but it doesn't end
       | the war, or save lives. Again, he's not un-aware of things on the
       | ground within the limits of what higher command are told. He can
       | read any western media he likes, and to believe he isn't aware of
       | the other feed of intel is to seriously under-rate how things
       | work.
       | 
       | So now to bribes: Does anyone think that any war of this nature
       | has succeeded purely by undermining the authority of the
       | opposition by bribes? It helps motivate, but I don't think it can
       | explain things. Dark, off-book money always leaks, the final
       | target never gets 100% of the "moscow gold" sent down the
       | pipeline. Anyone who thinks bribers are un-aware of the road tax
       | on illegal money has never experienced illegal money flows.
       | 
       | TL;DR Putin is not unware of the state of battle, or preparedness
       | of his troops. Bribes alone wouldn't have made it work,
       | magically.
        
         | metadat wrote:
         | It seems you may be giving putin more credit than it deserves.
         | Russia has been dysfunctional for a long, long time. The
         | omnipresent systemic corruption has never actually been
         | addressed in a meaningful way.
        
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       (page generated 2022-03-24 23:02 UTC)