Hans van Zijst

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Professional nerd and grammar nazi, writes in Dutch and English. Can read some German, French and Spanish too. Learning русский.

Location:: Netherlands

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 20:54:03 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Seems like the attempt on #Dugin wasn't the work of #Ukraine, but of the "National Republican Army". Apparently a #resistance group in #Russia, who swore:

We will depose and destroy Putin.

This is so much better than a group of Ukrainian commandos: this is coming from within. Let's hope they fulfill that promise soon...

Didn't find much in English yet, but this Dutch Twitter thread sure is a nice read:

https://nitter.unixfox.eu/Isa_Yusibov/status/1561421071458394112

politics ukraine

show all 13 comments

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 21:20:30 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Translated from the Twitter thread:

We, Russian activists, soldiers and politicians, now partisans of the National Republican Army, rise up against the war mongers, robbers and oppressors of the peoples of Russia.

We declare president Putin a usurper (?) and war criminal who changed the constitution, started a brother war between Slavic peoples and sent Russian soldiers to a useless death.

Poverty and body bags for some, palaces for others - that is the essence of his policy. We believe that people whose rights have been taken away have the right to stand up against tyrants. We will depose and destroy Putin.

Our goal is to stop the destruction of Russia and its neighbours, to stop the activities of a handful of Kremlin businessmen who steal all our resources and commit crimes in Russia and abroad.

We declare that officials of the government of the Russian Federation and local governments are complicit of this overpowerment (?). Those who do not give up their positions will be destroyed by us.

Note that the author hasn't heard of this group, but is stocking up on popcorn: the next few weeks will be interesting..

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 22:56:42 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Ah, more news about the National Republican Army:

https://nitter.unixfox.eu/officejjsmart/status/1561441068196843522

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 23:25:20 +0200

John Wehrle

johnwehrle@diaspora.glasswings.com

She was not an innocent. She was a state mouthpiece of genocidal propaganda.

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 23:36:27 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Yup, for what I've read about her so far, she's just as bad as her dad. Too bad they weren't both in the car.

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 23:45:13 +0200

V. T. Eric Layton

vtel57@diasp.org

Let’s hope they fulfill that promise soon…

The people of Russia are far, far from stupid. Putin will not end well.

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:13:46 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

https://nitter.unixfox.eu/officejjsmart/status/1561457582098845697

I wasn't sure how to translate one specific word in the Dutch thread, I picked "usurper". That's the word that is used in this translation too, and I think "the #Usurper" is a very good nickname for #Putin.

Let's hope this National Republican Army is solid, and that they will succeed in ripping the #Kremlin gang to pieces. Literally, if possible.

The world is not Russia's enemy, and Russia is not the enemy of mankind.

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:15:34 +0200

V. T. Eric Layton

vtel57@diasp.org

I hope they post YouTube vids.

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:24:41 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Hmm, not sure. I do hope they can post a video soon, detailing how they brought down Putin and his henchmen.

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:30:52 +0200

V. T. Eric Layton

vtel57@diasp.org

Yes, that's the vid I was referring to. :)

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:36:25 +0200

ottonafo 🇺🇦

ottona@mastodon.social

@hans zero factual benefit, high retaliatory risk, why would ukraine even carry out such an attack. at this point in time i'd also assume an origin inside russia

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:54:30 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@ottona Well, it would be a big boost to morale if Zelensky could show his people that they can hit important Russians in Russia. But I agree that it would not make much of a difference in the war.

The fact (?) that this was done by Russians, should make Putin and his friends very nervous. Who are these people, and more importantly: who's next?

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 01:17:44 +0200

ottonafo 🇺🇦

ottona@mastodon.social

@hans it'd be a huge shift to ukraine's principle to not hit targets not directly connected to war efforts.
given that the enemy can't wait for some smoking gun to justify their actions.

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 01:19:19 +0200

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@ottona True. Good point.

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:46:22 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

The gloves are off, #Russia has no problem dropping clusterbombs on residential areas.

How long before this fuckstick #Putin is either assassinated or sent to the International Court of Justice in The Hague?

NOS Nieuws wrote the following post Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:11:22 +0100

**Dodelijke raketaanval op woonwijk in Tsjernihiv, mogelijk met clustermunitie**

"Aan de noordelijke frontlinie in Oekraïne is om 12.16 uur een woonwijk in de stad Tsjernihiv beschoten met raketten. Volgens Oekraïense autoriteiten gaat het om een Russische luchtaanval op burgers. In dat geval is hier volgens Clingendael-onderzoeker Danny Pronk sprake van een oorlogsmisdrijf.
Op beelden van vlak voor de …"

https://nos.nl/l/2419666

#nieuws #bot

#Ukraine

show all 5 comments

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:59:14 +0100

івась тарасик

tivasyk@mastodon.social

@hans i'll much prefer hague for #putin ! here's why:

#stalin and sovien union were actually in the share with #hitler and germany and as much the cause of the ww2! but while germany has been denazified, sovien union was not, and russians almost openly warship stalin as a strong leader even to these days!

if not judged in hague while he still lives, putil will remain for them as a hero. all this will thus be repeated one day for our children =(

#hagueforputin #stoprussia #russiakills

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:08:28 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@івась тарасик I would very much prefer The Hague too. But the highest priority is that Putin is removed from his position, dead or alive. Preferabaly alive, but dead if necessary.

His possible status as a hero is something for after the war. I am an optimist, I expect that after this war Russia will finally get a decent government that allows the people to be free. Free to educate themselves, without being held hostage by state propaganda.

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 19:54:46 +0100

V. T. Eric Layton

vtel57@diasp.org

How long before this fuckstick #Putin is either assassinated or sent to the International Court of Justice in The Hague?

Odds are MUCH better for the assassination than for any legal ramifications.

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 21:23:57 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@V. T. Eric Layton True, that. But although it would bring some satisfaction to see him end like Khadaffi and be lynched by his own people, or poisoned like he poisoned so many, the civlized thing would be to bring him to justice.

Bring him in, kicking and screaming if need be, give him a fair trial, sentence him and put him behind bars for the rest of his life. Let the world know that in the 21st century you don't get away with this kind of behaviour like you could in medieval times.

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 21:54:04 +0100

V. T. Eric Layton

vtel57@diasp.org

Bring him in, kicking and screaming if need be, give him a fair trial, sentence him and put him behind bars for the rest of his life. Let the world know that in the 21st century you don’t get away with this kind of behaviour like you could in medieval times.

I agree. This would be the way it should be done. Maybe with Trump as a cellmate? ;)

Unfortunately, my cynical views on world events and politics in general won't allow me to be hopeful about this actually happening.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 22:58:33 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Seems like the Russian people finally get a bit of news that was not filtered by #Putin and his henchmen: Anonymous apparently hacked the Russian state TV and broadcasts the stuff Putin doesn't want them to see.

https://twitter.com/YourAnonOne/status/1497682868985905154

Let's hope this is an incentive to oust Putin and get a decent government.

#ukraine

Ukraine

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 23:20:43 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Probably. But the magicians don't reveal their tricks ;-)

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 18:36:57 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Impossible to know how true this claim is, but it would be fantastic if it was: #Putin allegedly only has money for ten days of war.

https://twitter.com/RihoTerras/status/1497537193346220038

#ukraine

Ukraine

show all 26 comments

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 18:54:00 +0100

Farhad A,

faab64@friendica.hubup.pro

There are so many videos of Russian tanks, trucks and other machines running out of diesel and asking locals for help, who put sugar in the diesel before giving it to the Russians causing their engines to break.

It is so unbelievably tragic to see all these young Russians who have no idea what they are doing being caught by Ukrainians or some even running away from their convoy.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 19:19:50 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

If he'd screw up this invasion, not only would he be the laughing stock of the international community, his people at home would probably smell blood too.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 19:52:49 +0100

Witcraft (Hubzilla)

witcraft@hub.hubzilla.de

And I do not think the NATO would give him a second chance - He might have sped up Ukraine to join the NATO, by trying to avoid it.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 20:01:21 +0100

Isaac Kuo

isaackuo@diaspora.glasswings.com

I agree that we can't know how true this claim is, but what is certain is that the world has noticed how the Ukrainian people have not withered away in panic.

Anyone who has been following me for a while may have noticed I have been supportive of Ukraine against Putin, and Taiwan against the CCP, for a long time ... before it has suddenly gotten really trending.

We're in the same boat. It's a defense of democracy, against autocratic invaders who wish to destroy that democracy.

I'm sure the CCP has drawn up all sorts of contingencies in their military plans. Some grim and drawn out. Some rosy assuming the Taiwanese people wither away in panic. I know there are plans for a small airborne attack to take out the Taiwanese leadership and quickly install a puppet government (much like the plans described in this thread).

Here's hoping the CCP is watching, and placing those rosy plans in a garbage bin.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 20:42:47 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

Putin might suddenly find himself a head shorter.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 20:59:15 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

I know I'm not supposed to say this, but I hope that's what's going to happen

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 21:12:14 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

Least loss of life, best basis for building peace. Defo the best option.

"Sorry, our nutty little dictator got carried away, here's his head on a platter, can we just forget about the last three weeks?"

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:08:06 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

If Putin were, erm, "escorted out of the Kremlin", I think Navaly would be a candidate to succeed him.

Then again, I don't know much about Russian politics.

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:14:54 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Seeing how he has become the symbol of resistance against Putin, I think he would be an obvious choice.

Who would you expect to take over?

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:17:31 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

If Russia starts a nuclear war, all bets are off.

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 18:12:12 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

Putin is the head of the real government: The mafia. Whoever succeeds him will, purely by coincidence, ALSO be the head of the mafia.

Russia is not a nation, it is a hostage.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:40:55 +0100

Witcraft (Hubzilla)

witcraft@hub.hubzilla.de

Well, I just read in a news feed that the Gremlin of the Kremlin hired 400 Wagner mercenaries to go after Zelenskyy...

So, now the world's largest country has its enourmous scale army running out of gas, missiles not working, tanks busted, paratroopers shot down, and banging their heads against a brick wall, in general. So what do you do? Hire a commando of professional killers - What's next?

Not that the whole invasion was following any legitimate rules of engagement anyway, but the story goes absolutely harebrained, on all levels. This is a story line no sane author could have come up with...

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:43:36 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

This would be a great time to annihilate all the world's mercenary armies. I kid. Every time is a great time for that.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:55:56 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

I love the stories about Putin's army failing, being blocked and shot to pieces, but I wonder how much of it is actually true. It's obvious that things haven't gone the way Putin wanted or expected, but I think we (at least I) should be cautious in our optimism. I wouldn't be surprised if he conquers all of Ukraine anyway, even if it may take longer than expected of cause more death and destruction than calculated.

There's no real way back for him, he's not the kind of guy to admit he screwed up. That's not what they taught him in KGB-class. I think he'd rather take the whole world down with him in his fall than to admit he fucked up.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:25:59 +0100

Isaac Kuo

isaackuo@diaspora.glasswings.com

@Hans van Zijst I also have the same gut instint - to wonder how much is actually true. It's so tempting to believe what one wishes to hear.

But the thing I keep coming back to is ... Kyiv is still standing. So is every other major city ... including Mariupol, which is between rebel territory and Crimea.

That just can't be consistent with Putin's army being in good shape.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:34:51 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

Trust but verify.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:35:56 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@Isaac Kuo Agree, and time isn't on his side. The longer this war lasts, the bigger the chance that his own people will rise up and oust him. That's what I'm hoping for, rather today than tomorrow.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:42:54 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@Andreas Geisler

Trust but verify.

Trusting is dangerous, @Isaac Kuo already said it's tempting to believe what you want to be true. Verifying is next to impossible, even if you follow several major news outlets from all over the world.

I have to accept that I can't tell what's true and what's not (or what's half true): only those things that are confirmed by both Russia and the rest of the world can be accepted as "the truth"...

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:53:28 +0100

Witcraft (Hubzilla)

witcraft@hub.hubzilla.de

There were enough confirmations of the US that the Kremlin did not acknowledge that I would believe Zelenskyy more than Putin (although the truth is the first victim if a war).

But I agree that it is unlikely for Ukraine to really defeat Russia, but they could hang on long enough for other events to happen. Maybe Putin cannot go reverse gear, but Russia could, once they wake up about his state of mind, or once the sanctions become more tangible.

Anyway, Putin has already made Ukraine immortal as a symbol and the subject that made a large part of the world unite and join efforts for humanity although they all had to pay something for it.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:04:20 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Yup, if this war gets bad enough for the rich kleptocrat circle around Putin, some might save their wealth by getting rid of Putin. "Tu quoque, Brute?"

@Paul Ferguson posted a nice link to a Twitter thread that point that out:

https://nitter.net/ggatehouse/status/1498270828844273669

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:07:43 +0100

Isaac Kuo

isaackuo@diaspora.glasswings.com

@Witcraft My first gut feeling is to agree that it is unlikely for Ukraine to really defeat Russia, but ... when I think about it more carefully, it's possible.

One very plausible theory, given what we've seen so far, is that the Russian military is EXTREMELY low on fuel. The decision to send in so few forces and to inadequately pound the Ukrainians from the air makes sense if there's just not enough fuel to go around. The sanctions will make it very difficult for the Russians to improve their fuel situation.

So, let's imagine the Russian forces basically run out of fuel completely in, say, a couple weeks. What happens then?

The Ukrainian forces have fuel and other supplies pouring in. This includes fuel for aircraft and drones, as well as more of these Turkish made drones that they've been doing well with.

In those circumstances, the Ukrainian forces could do more than just slow down the Russians (who are, at this point, reduced to walking around on foot ... starving). They could seriously advance and push back the Russian forces. They could even enter Crimea.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 19:28:56 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

"Trust but verify" is a slogan that Reagan supposedly had a speech coach teach him in Russian.

The gist of it is to not believe anything that hasn't been verified by one's own spy planes.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 19:32:07 +0100

Andreas G

andreas_geisler@diaspora.glasswings.com

@Isaac Kuo Ukraine being lured into attacking Crimea is one of those Soviet-era stratagems we should be aware of. It would be extremely dangerous, and could galvanize Russian support for the war, and also flip the "home team advantage" of defensive warfare on its head.

OTOH, taking a large number of Russian troops captive and then demand the Crimea in negotiations is a different kettle of fish.

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 23:07:47 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Here we go: #Navalny movement calls for disobedience.

Breakingviews - Navalny's supporters call for civil disobedience against Ukraine war

The movement of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on Monday for a campaign of civil disobedience to protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

#Ukraine

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 13:53:55 +0100

Witcraft (Hubzilla)

witcraft@hub.hubzilla.de

@Isaac Ji Kuo
Yeah, I hope this, too, but Russia has fossils, and given enough time, people and material enough to to throw at them, even if ineffectively and costly - but reason has been out of the game here, for long. The convoy approaching Zelenskyy is worrying me. I wish them all well, they have creative, cooperative ideas to invite Russians to butcher their "people of brothers". But it would be good if somebody in Russia would be putting the switch back from "seek and destroy" to "where will out place be, in the world, and in or own people"?

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:45:53 +0100

Isaac Kuo

isaackuo@diaspora.glasswings.com

Yes, the mere fact that they can deploy this massive convoy, without it running out of fuel, seems to rule out that admittedly wishful possibility.

Even if the initial phase of the was was disastrously poorly planned and executed, it's entirely possible for Russia to get their act together and make the second push as powerful and unstoppable as we all feared the first push would be.

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 16:46:34 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Jason Robinson 🐍🍻 wrote the following post Thu, 24 Feb 2022 23:12:43 +0100

Huge #respect to the #Russians going out to protest against the insanity that is #Putin at the threat of detainment ❤

#ukraine

show all 5 comments

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:23:19 +0100

Witcraft (Hubzilla)

witcraft@hub.hubzilla.de

Huge #respect to the #Russians going out to protest against the insanity that is #Putin at the threat of detainment ❤

Totally! Social courage in a country oppressing opposing opinions so hard!

I hope Putin actually miscalculated, attacking Ukrania and, at the same time, thousands of his own people. I only can hope that this spirals off to finally cost him all backup in his own nation...

I am not sure if all of this is really meticulously planned by Putin - His speech sounded in parts (genocide, eradication, and denazification) as if he had actually lost literal sanity...

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:26:51 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Sounds like it, indeed. I hope he finally overplayed his hand with his own people: that would be the best way to get rid of him.

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:24:36 +0100

Enjomineur D3

d3@diaspora.psyco.fr

Tout le Monde déteste P***!

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:26:04 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Pas tout le monde, mais la plupart.

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:34:25 +0100

Enjomineur D3

d3@diaspora.psyco.fr

Évidemment ! C'est une façon de parler.