Lies, Damn lies, and The Stig’s Ukrainian Cousin
While the front lines collapse in Ukraine, the elite adult children turn German sports cars into canal boats while in the Netherlands
TONIGHT, ON SUB GEAR
James sits in on a spin-cycle class,
Richard mucks the stables,
And I power slide a new Aston Martin V12 masterpiece.
*Music*
Okay, joke intro paying homage to Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman aside (POWWWWWWWERRRRRRRRRRR), I have one last thing to write this year. This is just a funny blurb that fell into my lap, I love it when that happens - it makes a perfect metaphor for how things are going on day 669 of “Putin’s illegal, unjust, unprovoked, dindunuffin, no good, very bad, terrible war on Ukraine”.
We had our thoughtful piece about Zaluzhny last month, and some quick thoughts about speech earlier this week. This is something extra special, a little gift to myself - because even I deserve to treat myself from time to time, especially on my PTO weeks.
Bad Racing Line
In life it’s helpful to know where one is going. Both on the road, and in personal and professional matters. It also helps to know how to drive. Much can be said about the mismanagement of the US proxy war on Russia, from bad narrative management to sending surplus weapons that weren’t maintained with basic upkeep over the decades. Much has, already, been said. Nearly 24 months worth has been said. However, let’s finish off the year with something a bit more unexpected.
Today’s moment of zen comes vicariously from Taras Troyak, the unfortunate owner of a bright blue Porsche 911 whom seemed to encounter some kind of road hazard while in Holland. Taras is a supplier of drones to Ukrainian armed forces, specializing in DJI equipment. Taras has, as far as we can tell, no professional car driver pedigree. We have seen him at zero BTCC events, he has not raced Le Mans, he has yet to place in 24 hours of Nurburgring. In short, he has no credentials of which to speak when it comes to cars. So… I can’t judge his driving acumen. I can only speculate, as the media does. I have no idea what happened. I do find it curious however that a country as poor as Ukraine managed to find such excess wealth to splurge on such luxuries.
Per news-you, the owner/operator of the vehicle left the roadway for unknown reasons on Wednesday the 20th, and was hospitalized owing to the crash. No details are known as to why he was in Holland, what may have lead to the crash, or why his service-worthy body is not on the front line and was instead driving a $200,000 car around as if he’s Ben Collins or Michael Schumacher.
Really, this is a great metaphor for how things are going. While the one half lives the lifestyle of a rockstar in Amsterdam and elsewhere, the other half dies in trenches with sparse equipment and meager rations. Some animals on the farm are more equal than the others. Unfortunately for them the cracks are beginning to show in the diaspora, as the Verkhovna Rada votes to shut down the SIM cards and bank accounts of Ukrainians fleeing conscription abroad, in order to bully them into returning to the meat grinders from their havens in glamours places such as Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Poland. Kurwa. Zrada kurwa.
If I have more to report, I’ll be sure to bring it to you, and I’m sure we’ll have a lot more to discuss in 2024 - but for now I’m going to go enjoy my cocoa and finish stressing over the holidays. Merry Christmas, and a very happy New Year to all good people.
Until next year dear readers,
Rich
The Ukraine (or, I should say, the Kiev regime) is merely emulating its sugar daddy, the United States of America. "I learned it from you, Dad." U Rich? Then no problems. Money talks loudest, regardless of how it's gotten.
At some point Ukraine will have to trade some of its land for peace. They simply can't afford to lose an entire generation to hold on to Russian speaking territory. The US and Europe are unlikely to maintain their current level of assistance indefinitely which will force the issue.
What percentage of the population of Ukraine must be sacrificed to prevent giving up a certain percentage of territory? Perhaps allowing the people of that territory the option to stay or leave could be part of the negotiated settlement. Many of the Russian speaking population might wish to stay. In any case it's no one's decision to make except for the people of Ukraine.