World War Three?

[NorrinRadd]

Given some of Putin's rhetoric if this does escalate to other countries, Tom Lehrer's well known song might prove correct!

However, we cannot know the mind of a madman and I think Putin is possibly not entirely sane.

Wow, Tom Lehrer. Haven't heard that name in ages. I'm not sure he or his songs are really all that "well known." I'm only familiar with one or two of his albums, ca. early '60s. Offhand, the songs that seems most likely are "MLF Lullaby" and "So Long, Mom."

[Sparko]

So? What are we going to do about it? Have an angry press conference?

can't even do that without power.

[Sparko]

Yes, thankfully, the haphazard nature of our power grid (and many other infrastructure areas) is actually a boon in this instance. This slapdash nature means that a single penetration of the system has limited reach compared to if our infrastructure was more uniform.

Not really. The grid is still interconnected in order for different parts to take up slack if another area has needs. But a complete power shutdown can create a cascade effect that takes down huge sections of the entire system. In the 80's a solar storm took out all of Quebec.

[Thoughtful Monk]

That's ironic, because I am sure that history will remember Putin as the 21st century's version of Hitler. Especially if this war escalates to other countries.

No, that will be President Xi, Putin will probably go down as this century's version of Tojo.

[Thoughtful Monk]

Our firm just released an email warning us to be more aware of possible phishing and ransomware attacks.

Since Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, the world is currently on high alert, especially with regards to Russian cyber retaliation. Prior to Russian troops entering Ukraine, numerous Ukrainian organizations were hit with a sophisticated new disk wiping malware. To combat these cyber-attacks, the US ferdal agency- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a document titled Shields Up; which is their stance in preparation for cyberattacks.


Even with the use of best-in-class technologies to secure our data, we must remain vigilant. Phishing emails and scams will likely continue to increase in numbers and complexity. We must be mindful when replying to emails and clicking links received in emails. Below are some quick reminders of ways to identify phishing emails.

1. Review the full email address of the sender. Emails may come through with a colleague’s name but from an unexpected email address.
2. Hover over all URL links to see if the destination of the link is expected.
3. Do not open unexpected attachments
4. Use caution if an email has the following:
a. A sense of urgency (“Do this now”)
b. A generic greeting
c. Asks for a favor, such as purchasing gift (Firm leadership will never make requests like this)
d. Asks for personal information
e. Lacks information about the sender or company (no email signature)
f. Grammar and spelling errors
g. Changes in the way the sender typically communicates (the sender is usually very professional, and this email is overly casual)

If you receive an email from a known contact, but you believe it is phishing, please reach out to that individual outside of email to alert them of the message.

Thanks for the PSA, Sparko.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Wow, Tom Lehrer. Haven't heard that name in ages. I'm not sure he or his songs are really all that "well known." I'm only familiar with one or two of his albums, ca. early '60s. Offhand, the songs that seems most likely are "MLF Lullaby" and "So Long, Mom."

I discovered Tom Lehrer quite late [along with the Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band]. I think he is brilliant.

Among my favourites are Alma, The Vatican Rag, National Brotherhood Week, Poisoning the Pigeons, The Elements, and Hanukkah in Santa Monica.

The song I was particularly thinking of for this thread was We Will All Go Together.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

After Putin's ominous threats to Finland and Sweden it does seem he is displaying the symptoms of paranoia and appears to blame the west for the collapse of the USSR. In a translation of an article by Michel Eltchaninoff in today's Guardian Eltchaninoff notes Putin's fixation on Russian "victimhood". https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...sia-victimhood

this perpetual sense of victimhood that allows the Russian president to artificially create situations in which Russia appears humiliated and insulted. Are these the actions of a rational leader? The answer is both simple and worrying. Putin has developed, over decades, a vision of the world that is paranoid but coherent. According to this vision, Russia has for centuries been the victim of an attempt to contain and dismember it. These attempts must be resisted.

The article notes:

The contemporary “west”, in this vision, battles to contain Russia out of jealousy. Europe has collapsed into decadence, crushed by the weight of its humanism and political liberalism: tired, divided, at the mercy of every passing wind. The United States, mired in an instrumental, materialist culture and the contradictions of its own history, is in the process of losing its pre-eminence. Russia, by contrast, like its emerging ally, China, is on the rise in civilisational terms.

The article ends with this rather disturbing comment.

For Putin – in stark contrast to the tired westerner, lost in the search for profit and material comfort, “the Russian man thinks first of all … in relation to a superior moral principle”. And he is prepared to die for it. Putin often cites a well-known Russian saying: for Russians, “even death is beautiful”. There may, therefore, be no limits to the quest to avenge perceived humiliation. The president’s worldview paves the way to extremism.

One wonders if we have a 21st century version of Hitler but with a nuclear capability.

.

[Ronson]

After Putin's ominous threats to Finland and Sweden it does seem he is displaying the symptoms of paranoia and appears to blame the west for the collapse of the USSR. In a translation of an article by Michel Eltchaninoff in today's Guardian Eltchaninoff notes Putin's fixation on Russian "victimhood".

He isn't swinging wildly. Finland and Sweden angered him with their support of Ukraine. The NATO threat connection, though, is weird.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

He isn't swinging wildly. Finland and Sweden angered him with their support of Ukraine. The NATO threat connection, though, is weird.

That speech was weird.

[Mountain Man]

After Putin's ominous threats to Finland and Sweden it does seem he is displaying the symptoms of paranoia and appears to blame the west for the collapse of the USSR. In a translation of an article by Michel Eltchaninoff in today's Guardian Eltchaninoff notes Putin's fixation on Russian "victimhood". https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...sia-victimhood

this perpetual sense of victimhood that allows the Russian president to artificially create situations in which Russia appears humiliated and insulted. Are these the actions of a rational leader? The answer is both simple and worrying. Putin has developed, over decades, a vision of the world that is paranoid but coherent. According to this vision, Russia has for centuries been the victim of an attempt to contain and dismember it. These attempts must be resisted.

The article notes:

The contemporary “west”, in this vision, battles to contain Russia out of jealousy. Europe has collapsed into decadence, crushed by the weight of its humanism and political liberalism: tired, divided, at the mercy of every passing wind. The United States, mired in an instrumental, materialist culture and the contradictions of its own history, is in the process of losing its pre-eminence. Russia, by contrast, like its emerging ally, China, is on the rise in civilisational terms.

The article ends with this rather disturbing comment.

For Putin – in stark contrast to the tired westerner, lost in the search for profit and material comfort, “the Russian man thinks first of all … in relation to a superior moral principle”. And he is prepared to die for it. Putin often cites a well-known Russian saying: for Russians, “even death is beautiful”. There may, therefore, be no limits to the quest to avenge perceived humiliation. The president’s worldview paves the way to extremism.

One wonders if we have a 21st century version of Hitler but with a nuclear capability.

.

Frankly, that article reads like typical propaganda in its attempts to belittle a foe.

[Gondwanaland]

No, that will be President Xi, Putin will probably go down as this century's version of Tojo.

Yeah Xi already has a head start on the concentration camps.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Frankly, that article reads like typical propaganda in its attempts to belittle a foe.

Did you actually read the entire article? Or did you confine yourself to those brief extracts I posted?

[Mountain Man]

Did you actually read the entire article?

Yes. The historical background was fine; the attempts to diminish Putin through self-serving psychoanalysis was classic propaganda.

[Ronson]

Yikes. Just watched a video on TMZ of a Russian tank in Kyiv that intentionally veered and ran over a civilian car driving by, crushing it. After the tank left, the driver was rescued by onlookers.

https://www.tmz.com/2022/02/25/man-s...kraine-russia/

I'd call that a war crime, if that tank driver is ever identified.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Yes. The historical background was fine; the attempts to diminish Putin through self-serving psychoanalysis was classic propaganda.

Do you hold qualifications in psychiatry or psychology that include expertise in psychoanalysis?

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