Russia's invasion of Texas

[NWRatCon]

Ukraine is often compared to Texas in size, although Texas is slightly larger, and Ukraine has 30% more population. Ukraine is actually the second largest country in Europe (next to Russia). But the comparison is useful, also, in trying to understand what Putin's invasion of Ukraine is like, militarily.

Houston is roughly comparable in size to Kyiv, at 2.3 million residents to Kyiv's 2.9. The ten largest cities in Texas:

• Houston (2,325,353)
• San Antonio (1,598,964)
• Dallas (1,348,886)
• Austin (1,028,225)
• Fort Worth (958,692)
• El Paso (687,287)
• Arlington (401,047)
• Corpus Christi (327,423)
• Plano (284,467)
• Laredo (267,396)

In comparison, Ukraine's largest cities are

Kyiv	2,797,553
Kharkiv	1,430,885
Dnipro	1,032,822
Donetsk	1,024,700
Odessa	1,001,558
Zaporizhia	796,217
Lviv	717,803
Kryvyi Rih	652,380
Mykolayiv	510,840
Mariupol	481,626

Texas and Ukraine also have similar coastlines, although Ukraine coastal cities are far larger. Odessa is more comparable to New Orleans than Galveston and Texas City. Corpus Christi is somewhat smaller than Sevastopol, but similarly situated.

Carrying the comparison forward: Russia has control of the separatist El Paso region along the border and has previously invaded and annexed Corpus Christi (Sevastapol). From Corpus Christi, it is pushing inland to try to capture New Orleans, attacking Galveston/Texas City along the way. From sympathetic Oklahoma, it is pushing down to try to capture Houston, with a 40-mile column of tanks, artillery and personnel carriers 15 miles from there, but has run low on fuel.

Early in the invasion, a Russian Warship announced to the rangers on South Padre Island, “This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you’ll be bombed.” To which the Texans replied, “Russian warship, go **** yourself." Nonetheless, the personnel on the island have been captured, and the island is under Russian control.

Russia has been bombarding San Antonio, blowing up the Alamo with cruise missiles from the Gulf of Mexico, and artillery, as well as Dallas/Fort Worth, and Austin. It has captured a nuclear power plant (South Texas Project Electric Generating Station in Bay City) and is holding the personnel there to operate it and as hostages. If it melts down, it will immediately be a thread to San Antonio as well as Austin and Houston. None of Texas' major cities have yet fallen, although Midland, Beuamont and Laredo are now under Russian control. Prior to the arrival of Russian invaders, Dallas blew up several bridges over the Trinity River. The Dallas Zoo was shelled and subsequently taken over by Russian troops as a staging ground.

 

[Mycroft]

Ukraine is often compared to Texas in size, although Texas is slightly larger, and Ukraine has 30% more population. Ukraine is actually the second largest country in Europe (next to Russia). But the comparison is useful, also, in trying to understand what Putin's invasion of Ukraine is like, militarily.

Houston is roughly comparable in size to Kyiv, at 2.3 million residents to Kyiv's 2.9. The ten largest cities in Texas:

• Houston (2,325,353)
• San Antonio (1,598,964)
• Dallas (1,348,886)
• Austin (1,028,225)
• Fort Worth (958,692)
• El Paso (687,287)
• Arlington (401,047)
• Corpus Christi (327,423)
• Plano (284,467)
• Laredo (267,396)

In comparison, Ukraine's largest cities are

Kyiv	2,797,553
Kharkiv	1,430,885
Dnipro	1,032,822
Donetsk	1,024,700
Odessa	1,001,558
Zaporizhia	796,217
Lviv	717,803
Kryvyi Rih	652,380
Mykolayiv	510,840
Mariupol	481,626

Texas and Ukraine also have similar coastlines, although Ukraine coastal cities are far larger. Odessa is more comparable to New Orleans than Galveston and Texas City. Corpus Christi is somewhat smaller than Sevastopol, but similarly situated.

Carrying the comparison forward: Russia has control of the separatist El Paso region along the border and has previously invaded and annexed Corpus Christi (Sevastapol). From Corpus Christi, it is pushing inland to try to capture New Orleans, attacking Galveston/Texas City along the way. From sympathetic Oklahoma, it is pushing down to try to capture Houston, with a 40-mile column of tanks, artillery and personnel carriers 15 miles from there, but has run low on fuel.

Early in the invasion, a Russian Warship announced to the rangers on South Padre Island, “This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you’ll be bombed.” To which the Texans replied, “Russian warship, go **** yourself." Nonetheless, the personnel on the island have been captured, and the island is under Russian control.

Russia has been bombarding San Antonio, blowing up the Alamo with cruise missiles from the Gulf of Mexico, and artillery, as well as Dallas/Fort Worth, and Austin. It has captured a nuclear power plant (South Texas Project Electric Generating Station in Bay City) and is holding the personnel there to operate it and as hostages. If it melts down, it will immediately be a thread to San Antonio as well as Austin and Houston. None of Texas' major cities have yet fallen, although Midland, Beuamont and Laredo are now under Russian control. Prior to the arrival of Russian invaders, Dallas blew up several bridges over the Trinity River. The Dallas Zoo was shelled and subsequently taken over by Russian troops as a staging ground.

You have a vivid imagination.

 

[bluesmoke]

Texas has always wanted separation from the US.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Ukraine is actually the second largest country in Europe (next to Russia).

Ukraine is the largest nation totally within Europe. Slightly larger than France.

Russia spreads across two continents ... Europe and Asia.

 

[NWRatCon]

Ukraine is the largest nation totally within Europe. Slightly larger than France.

Russia spreads across two continents ... Europe and Asia.

I don't think most people realize how big Ukraine actually is (and so much ignorance of its history!).

A friend of mine from Ukraine warned me never to call anyone from Ukraine "Russian", even though many, like he, were native Russian speakers (it's about 50/50). That was because of the resentment Ukrainians still feel about the holodomor, or great famine, which killed nearly 4 million Ukrainians, and which they think of as a genocide perpetrated by Stalin.

“Famine often achieves a socio-economic or military purpose, such as transferring land possession or clearing an area of population, since most flee rather than die,” famine historian de Waal says. “But politically and ideologically it is more often counterproductive for its perpetrators. As in the case of Ukraine it generated so much hatred and resentment that it solidified Ukrainian nationalism.”

Eventually, when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine finally became an independent nation—and the Holodomor remains a painful part of Ukrainians’ common identity."

Putin actually thinks of himself, and Ukrainians, much like Stalin did.

 

[Rogue Valley]

I don't think most people realize how big Ukraine actually is (and so much ignorance of its history!).

I didn't realize its size until I took a motorcycle ride from west to east, north to south.

The steppe portion of Ukraine (filled with wheat and sunflower fields) seemingly goes on forever.

 

[bluesmoke]

Russia has about the same GDP as TX, which is about 10x larger than Ukraine. It makes better sense for Russia to invade TX, which doesn't want to be a part of the US anyway, than to invade Ukraine, which I bet would rather be a part of the US than a part of Russia. Plus, being so Rep/con, TX likely admires the leadership strength of Putin.

 

[NWRatCon]

I didn't realize its size until I took a motorcycle ride from west to east, north to south.

The steppe portion of Ukraine (filled with wheat and sunflower fields) seemingly goes on forever.

Ukraine had been on my bucket list for visiting. It's temporarily not. There was a cruise that went along the Dnieper River. Looked lovely (they always do).

 

[NWRatCon]

Russia has about the same GDP as TX, which is about 10x larger than Ukraine. It makes better sense for Russia to invade TX, which doesn't want to be a part of the US anyway, than to invade Ukraine, which I bet would rather be a part of the US than a part of Russia. Plus, being so Rep/con, TX likely admires the leadership strength of Putin.

That was another reason for picking Texas as the analogy. The fact that Texas' GDP is about the same as Russia's says a lot about Russia. Texas is kinda run like a dicktatorship.

 

[NWRatCon]

"Governor Stitt of Oklahoma denies that Oklahoma National Guard troops have deployed in support of the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, the entire populations of Arlington and Plano have evacuated through Midland to New Mexico."

 

[NWRatCon]

"Russian vehicles passing through the outskirts of Galveston."

"Buildings at the University of Texas in flames after a missile strike."

 

[NWRatCon]

The point of this thread is to illustrate the level of destruction, the kinds of cities and locations being targeted, and the outrageous approach of the Russian attack on Ukraine.

 

[bomberfox]

Russia has about the same GDP as TX, which is about 10x larger than Ukraine. It makes better sense for Russia to invade TX, which doesn't want to be a part of the US anyway, than to invade Ukraine, which I bet would rather be a part of the US than a part of Russia. Plus, being so Rep/con, TX likely admires the leadership strength of Putin.

I’d hope Austin would be able to stay though, its a blue in a sea of red.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Ukraine had been on my bucket list for visiting. It's temporarily not. There was a cruise that went along the Dnieper River. Looked lovely (they always do).

That cruise can take you all the way to Germany.

 

[NWRatCon]

I feel as sick about the wanton destruction in Ukraine as I did when ISIS destroyed Palmyra.

 

[NWRatCon]

My suggested resolution of Ukraine invasion: get a line of buses to take Russian army back to Belarus... or on to Poland if they'd prefer to defect. Leave the equipment. Ukraine will need it.

 

[bluesmoke]

I’d hope Austin would be able to stay though, its a blue in a sea of red.

Yeah. I've always gotten that about Austin. Too much music to be too Red.