Remember at the start of the Biden Admin how everyone was clambering for a living wage for entry level workers?

McDonald's "Accelerating the Arches" strategy has produced the world's first completely autonomous fast food restaurant. The location, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, has no humans present and delivers food via conveyor belt. pic.twitter.com/bph3EZdLZJ

— vx-underground (@vxunderground) December 22, 2022

This is the result.

When its cheaper to automate rather than pay govt mandated higher wages then that's what corporations will do.  Not taking a stand on whether its good or bad but its to be expected.

Add to it the fact that you run across some of the most disrespectful fucks on the planet flipping burgers and I find myself shedding few tears.

It is a shame that (I believe) this will catch on and it will eliminate a chance for high school and even some college kids to get a pretty easy (comparatively) gig and its the end of an era.

The worst thing?

This was all predictable.  The powers that be should have known that sloganeering isn't equal to policy and that while the intentions were good, the outcomes are pretty bad.

Lastly and this is the part that no one wants to talk about.

It contributed to inflation.

Thurs Funny via Reddit

 

Open Comment Post. 22 Dec 22

 

Russia reshaping its military...

 via AP

Some Russian military experts have argued that such smaller units intended for use in local conflicts were undermanned and underequipped for massive fighting like the action in Ukraine.

Shoigu declared that the existing infantry, airborne and marine brigades will be reshaped into divisions, the bigger units that Russia had in the past and that the U.S. and some NATO allies still have. He also announced that several new divisions will be formed.

I would like more details on this part.  Is the failure one of lack of command and control?  Independent Brigades lack connectivity while conducting large scale attacks?

As part of a planned reform, some air force units will be made subordinate to groups of land forces in an apparent bid to increase coordination between them that many observers said proved insufficient during the fighting in Ukraine.

The USMC cracked that code long ago.  Its being tossed away in a bid to engage in the sea battle but oh well.  I don't recognize half the shit the Marines are doing these days.  Good to see someone else recognizing this...if only the US Army could get the USAF to bend the knee and finally get joint.

 He specifically underlined the importance of enhancing communications and improving artillery tactics. Some Russian military bloggers lamented that coordination between units has often been poor, and it has taken commanders too long to designate and clear targets for artillery and rocket strikes.

Putin also emphasized the need to widen the use of drones, noting that they have played a big role in the conflict.

Commonly accepted but I wonder if drones (air) have reached their height of power and will simply become just another part of the force instead of being the highlight.

Here 

Remember my warnings about weapons given to Ukraine ending up on the black market????

 Thanks to Noble for the link!

via zerohedge

The Nigerian government says that foreign-supplied weapons transferred from the West to the Ukrainian government have begun to proliferate in the west African region. The illegal arms have begun to "filter" to the region, Nigeria's president said.

An urgent warning was recently issued by President Muhammadu Buhari himself. An official statement posted to the website of the Nigerian presidency's office said that Buhari "urged more vigilance and tightening of security around borders, drawing attention to the increased number of arms, ammunition, and other weapons from the Russia and Ukraine war in the Lake Chad Basin."

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 It marks the clearest confirmation yet that weapons intended for Ukrainian forces are exiting the country in large numbers, precisely as many observers feared given the billions of dollars worth of arms that have been pumped in over the course of the nine-month war.

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 In October, Finland began warning it too is seeing West-supplied weapons to Ukraine make their way to different countries, and falling into the hands of criminal gangs.

NBI, which is Finland's federal National Bureau of Investigation, had sounded the alarm at the time, saying in a statement, "We've seen signs of these weapons already finding their way to Finland." 

"Weapons shipped [by various countries] to Ukraine have also been found in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands," NBI Detective Superintendent Christer Ahlgren was quoted in the Finnish media as saying. 

Here 

First.

I told you fucking so.

Second.

How long before some clown sits at the end of a runway and takes out a plane?  How long before someone takes potshots at a school or hospital in Europe or the USA with a couple of anti-tank missiles and then assaults first responders with a few more?

You flood the zone in a country like Ukraine with all this weaponry and YOU'RE ASKING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!

All the money we're sending?

The rich and elite have stuffed their pockets.  The average Ukrainian is getting fucked (as usual).

Any critique of Ukraine means your a Russian mouthpiece?

 

Must be hard to type when you're Putin's mouthpiece pic.twitter.com/XL97EfcaWv

— Angry Staff Officer (@pptsapper) December 21, 2022

Weird. This is so true. Once Zelensky lived in suits and ties. Now? Now he's in that little "army" outfit. Why? Because its part of his stage craft. Part of him shaping an image of being a wartime leader. Nevermind that its never seen a speck of mud or dust, because it looks military its enough to convince the majority of the misinformed that he's about that life. Now lets be honest. The appropriate attire in a meeting with the US President or appearing before our Congress is a suit and tie. If he DID NOT HAVE ONE that would be one thing but we all know better.

But the most terrible thing.

If you have any criticism, concerns or just think we've given enough then suddenly you're a Russian mouthpiece, apologist...whatever.

My question to you.

Do you think that people like me that have MASSIVE reservations about this conflict and our role in it will soften our positions with this type of argument?

One other thing.

A person asked what the end of the war would look like.  Biden said it would look like whatever Zelensky said and Zelensky basically said when Ukraine is whole.

You do know what you're being setup for don't you?

Another decade long war ... this time in the heart of Europe.

They get so pissed when you don't follow the talking points...

 

To all the trolls who surface whenever I compare Zelensky to Churchill -- please know that I will always fight for your right to express your opinions (and your right to repeat Kremlin talking points) no matter how ill-informed they are. Just don't expect me to believe them. pic.twitter.com/MGQBO4Mn9Z

— Admiral James Stavridis, USN, Ret. (@stavridisj) December 21, 2022

This dude right here. Just wow. He compares Zelensky to Churchill and then gets pissed when he gets push back? Even worse this son of a bitch thinks that if you look at the same info he has and comes to a different conclusion that it isn't a disagreement. No. Can't be a disagreement. It must be that you're using Russian talking points.

If our Republic survives, historians will be amazed at the hubris, attempt at control and the outright lawlessness of our politicians/military officials.

The FBI responds to Twitter Files...

 

The FBI has released a statement regarding the Twitter Files.

pic.twitter.com/hQ9iI2R9x0

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 21, 2022

My response?

Utter bullshit.

Trump was right.

He talked about the deep state and here it is.  The FBI is part of that "deep state" and so is the US military (Twitter just released files on the psyops they were running).

Govt for the people and by the people is the second biggest lie told in civics classes.  The first is that your vote counts.

Zelensky addresses Congress...

 

LIVE NOW: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Addresses Joint Meeting of Congress - https://t.co/fHkyaXPGKA pic.twitter.com/etO9L6aaFo

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 22, 2022

He's still talking as I type this.

My take?

Arrogant.

Demanding.

Puffed up.

We're providing 80% of his military AND economic support, with more to come before the current crop of bastards are replaced with a new crop of bastards that will surely send EVEN MORE of our treasure to him.

Imagine what a 100 billion dollars could do in the US!  Our infrastructure could improve.  Our border could be secured.  Our NECESSARY social spending could increase.

Yet we're basically filling the coffers of Ukraine while the Europeans watch (and cheer from the sidelines ALSO demanding that we do more) and the needs of Americans are ignored.

Open Comment Post. 18 Dec 22