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| Bombed out flats in Bakhmut |
It's really hard not to get this war out of our heads. We retreat to our cellphones each night to get the latest news - Daina in Russian and Lithuanian, me in English. It's reached a painful stalemate once again with Ukraine begging NATO for high-powered tanks so it can seize the initiative in the battles at Soledar, Bakhmut and other key places along the battle front. We are told these battles have little strategic importance, but are wearing thin Ukrainian military supplies. We simply can't understand why NATO doesn't do more to supply Ukraine the military ordnance it needs.
Germany is seen as the biggest stick in the mud, but other major countries have been even more reticent to supply Ukraine with high grade military equipment. France doesn't even make this list provided by Statista. Tiny little Latvia has supplied more military hardware to Ukraine than has France. The US has provided far more munitions than all other NATO countries combined. This despite the fact there are at least 2000 serviceable German Leopard tanks in Europe. Ukraine is asking or 300.
Apparently, the NATO countries did see fit to provide 100 tanks at their recent meeting in Ramstein, not all Leopards. Some will be British Challengers and maybe even American Abrams tanks, although American military officials have said these tanks are poorly suited for the trench warfare in Ukraine. Leopards and Challengers are far more mobile and better able to handle the terrain. Not to mention they are diesel driven, whereas the Abrams tanks use jet fuel.
We've become a bit of "experts" with all the news we pick up from the internet. Of course, we take it for what it is worth, deferring to those who actually know what they are talking about. Daina had liked Oleksiy Arestovych until his major gaffe on a recent missile strike in Dnipro. He claimed the Russian rocket had been shot down by Ukrainian forces and detonated on contact with the apartment block, killing scores of individuals. Turns out he had no special intel, but was relying on information he picked off the internet. In this case, the Russian social media site Telegram, which had been spreading this story.
It appears Arestovych wasn't much of an expert after all, but rather a fellow actor turned political adviser to Zelenskyy, who was mostly in charge of public relations. He had a very popular podcast with Mark Feygin on Youtube. Feygin is a Russian civil rights lawyer, famous for representing Pussy Riot when they were brought up on charges of hooliganism for one of their performance pieces in the Moscow cathedral back in 2012. You might call him the Michael Avenatti of Moscow, although I assume he no longer lives in Russia, given his support for Ukraine.
You have to be careful where you glean your news from. There are a lot of retired military generals who farm themselves out as military analysts, appearing on programs all over the world including Telewizya Polska (TVP), which we get on cable. You assume they know something special given their ranks, but they too have little inside information. They are just following the news like the rest of us. TVP runs both an English-speaking and Polish broadcast. We get a kick out of their presenters, as they offer a healthy dose of irony in their comments, although they come across more as "unreliable narrators."
If you have read any Russian literature, you know what I'm talking about. The unreliable narrator is a staple of much of their fiction. Nabokov loved to use them in his novels, but you can find them in Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy and Chekhov. Their function isn't exactly clear but you realize soon enough that you shouldn't take them at their word.
Still, you have to trust someone, otherwise you would have no bearings at all. We both like Lloyd Austin. He seems like a no-nonsense kind of guy. Of course he works for the Biden administration, so he is responsible for projecting a version of events in sync with the White House. We sense he is incredibly frustrated with Germany's intractability when it comes to releasing their Leopard tanks, but he keeps a good face, repeating that Germany is a reliable partner. Unlike the others we listen to, we know that Ret. Gen. Austin is fully aware of what is happening in Ukraine. It's just unfortunate that he can't be more forthcoming.
Our biggest worry is that the longer this war drags out the more it will spread. Putin has been exerting pressure on fellow CIS countries to throw their support behind his war effort. So far, Belarus is the only country to make a strong commitment, mostly because Lukashenko has no other choice. He wouldn't be in power without the support of Putin.
Belarus is not only Ukraine's next door neighbor, but ours as well, and it continues to try to push so-called refugees through the borders in an effort to destabilize Lithuania. As a result, our country has cut all cooperative agreements with Belarus. Daina points out that once Russia has troops on the ground in Belarus they can turn in any direction. The Suwalki Gap has long been coveted by Russia as it would allow them to form a land bridge with Kaliningrad, cutting the Baltics off from the rest of Europe. This narrow strip of land gets a lot of attention in the news, and has been dubbed "the most dangerous place on earth," at least in terms of NATO and Russian strategic interests. Not an evening goes by without some mention of this narrow corridor. This is why it was so important to us that Germany commit to a stronger military presence in the country.
But, Germany has proven to be quite a fickle distant neighbor. Despite strong trade relationships and general goodwill between the two countries, Lithuanians and indeed all Eastern Europeans don't feel they can trust Germany. It's not just the Leopard tanks. Germany appears to have a long range interest in maintaining a relationship with Russia and doesn't want to spoil it by committing troops or tanks that would antagonize the Kremlin. This has resulted in the uneasy feeling that we are on our own again.
Lithuanians tend to be pessimistic given their long history of occupation. Many older Lithuanians figure it is just a matter of time before Russia reannexes the Baltic states. Daina feels this way. The younger generation not so much as they didn't live under Soviet occupation. Still, our son and his girlfriend put together flight packs, mostly to ease Daina's anxieties. Although it would be hard to get out of the country if Russia were able to seize the Suwalki gap.
She has a hard time sleeping at night with all the news stories rolling around in her head. It doesn't help that she brings her cellphone to bed. She will start talking to me when I have already dozed off to sleep. There really isn't much I can say to ease her anxieties as I have no parallel experience. I never lived under an oppressive regime. Mostly, I just agree with her.
However, I tend to be more optimistic. I just can't imagine NATO would give up on Ukraine. At some point I think they will bring out the heavy guns and armored carriers as there will be no other option. If Russia is not repelled, they will continue their assault not just on Ukraine but all former Soviet republics, as they believe these countries to be part of their manifest destiny. To date, NATO has only provided a small fraction of the military support to Ukraine that it provided to Afghanistan and Iraq.
I suppose the stakes are much higher as you don't know what Putin will do in the end. He may say to hell with it and drop a nuclear bomb on Ukraine or more likely bomb one of its nuclear reactors, thereby rendering a whole region uninhabitable for the next 50 or more years, as is the case with Chernobyl. If he can't have Zaporizhzhia then no one can.
Still, foreign leaders like Erdogan, Scholtz and Macron believe there is room for negotiation. They all push it, yet so far nothing has come from these talks other than to open grain corridors and occasionally allow civilians to flee the bombed-out cities. Putin continues to stress that Ukraine must recognize the new territorial realities, having declared at least five former Ukrainian oblasts as now being part of Russia. However, this is a non-starter as far as any "dialog" is concerned.
I go to sleep knowing the situation is out of our hands. Yet, I find myself having troubling dreams just like Daina. Not quite as apocalyptic as hers, but disturbing nonetheless. NATO seems to hope that Russia will crumble first as it will not be able to sustain this war indefinitely. However, the human suffering is very hard to bear. Seeing flats destroyed like the one in Dnipro really brings the war home to us. Daina is constantly having dreams where she is moving through bombed-out cities. Mine seem to jump all over the place, but have become murkier as of late, which I relate back to her in the morning. There is no escape. One way or another these war stories filter into our subconscious.
Daina says it has gotten harder and harder for her to get out of bed in the morning. She feels a lingering sense of doom and sometimes panic. I have a dog begging me to get up to take him outside, so I slowly push myself up and take him downstairs, trying not to get him to bark at the cat, so Daina can have a few more minutes sleep. I climb back into bed after feeding the pets, curling up close behind her, giving her my emotional support if nothing else. Somehow we will get through this appalling war together. We can't even begin to imagine what Ukrainians are suffering through.
Sad as those events may be, you can hardly find anyone in these parts who pays even the slightest attention to them. With all the thousands of homeless people around, with Covid and the seasonal flu still menacing and croaking people, with cops killing and abusing people with rapturous glee, and with inflation forcing people to either buy food and forfeit medicine or buying medicine and forfeiting groceries, folks here disregard those headlines. And understandably so.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I'm now over 70. My pal from NY who is near 80 called me the other day. He needs surgery and other medical care but can only afford only a fragment of the treatment he needs. He asks 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 $65 𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑼𝒌𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆'𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒉𝒊𝒎?* NYC has far more homeless people than does the Twin Cities where I live and he also wonders why the government allows them to survive that way while it generously gives away our tax dollars for Ukraine. Meanwhile we have tv and radio reports of Ukrainian refugees being given homes, free medical care, and jobs by the US government and private charities ~ these reports can be found in Twin Cities and NYC news sites. Good for those folks, but what about the rest of us?
Charity is supposed to begin at home. But so many of these politicians don't gᶦvashᶦt about any of us - the ones whose tax dollars are going overseas while so many of us suffer and ultimately croak without the help we need. None of this means we don't care about what you guys are enduring overseas. It's just that we have needs too, and nothing will ever get done about them until we deal with them first.
* as for myself, at present I need major (and I do mean MAJOR) dental work but can't afford it at all - sad but true
Well, Trip, last time I saw the overwhelming majority of Americans and Congresspersons support Ukraine, because unlike you they have a broader world view. But, I guess it depends on who you hang with ; )
ReplyDeletehttps://www.voanews.com/a/poll-majority-of-americans-support-continued-aid-for-ukraine/6858460.html
Poll from the right wing Reagan group that still views Russians as "enemies" and who feel that government should not support those Americans in need. I view Russians as humans. So do poor people in the ghetto where I live.
ReplyDeleteNo one is viewing Russians as non-humans. The question is why Putin is invading Ukraine? All the old excuses have been blown out of the water so now he is pushing the line that it is Russia v. West because NATO is supplying Ukraine with munitions. For that matter, Russia is buying missiles and drones from Iran and North Korea and detaining Central Asian migrant workers to fight in Ukraine. The human rights abuses never end.
Deletehttps://jamestown.org/program/moscow-actively-conscripting-central-asian-migrant-workers-for-war-effort/
Unfortunately, you have turned this into the classic labor struggle trope in your effort to maintain your pacifist stance, with anecdotal references to your community. That's not the way most of the people in the US or the world view this war.
𝘜𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘚 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘳.
ReplyDeleteI know of no one who is willing to support any further USA incursion into this conflict. Go to youtube and see how many people support your view (I'm there every day). Certainly not anyone here in the St Paul Hispanic ghetto where I live. Interestingly, the majority of those who oppose Zelenskyy are conservatives while most who support Biden's actions are Democrats.
This is the second time you referenced "world view". It makes me wonder -- what do Europeans think of whenever a Rodney King or George Floyd incident takes place? As one who lives in the ghetto I see things like that every day. For those of us who are black or brown we pretty much live under the same circumstances as did Jews under the Tsar. Cops beating the shit out of us, drug dealers and Mafia spreading drugs around killing thousands of people every year, substandard housing, insufficient medical care (a problem I certainly have), and other injustices. Those of us from the ghettoes pay the taxes which finance the war machinery and it is mostly our children who do the fighting overseas that frees Europe and the rest of the world from imperialism. But the only thing we get back in return for all these sacrifices is second or third class citizenship and all the attendant shit that goes with it. They continue to get a free ride at our expense and all we get is breadcrumbs. So what do all those Europeans say about all these human rights abuses - what is their ''world view'' re the racial and economic injustices that occur in the USA? I'm not asking about you personally as you have expressed disgust with these injustices enough times over the years and I thank you for expressing yourself in this manner. But what of them???
In fact you have mentioned Daina several times. Let's see what she has to say. Billion$ more from our Treasury goes to help Europeans thanks to Biden. Meanwhile poor people like my 80 year old friend from NY and myself fail to get the medical attention we need as our dollars are sent overseas. Millions of Americans die a slow death due every year to lack of health care and economic injustices while our resources go to benefit Europeans who have never paid so much as one cent to our Treasury.
I challenge anyone with your world view to go into a USA ghetto and tell people here that our tax dollars and resources should go to Europe while so many suffer here. I'd love to see anyone dare to try something like that.
Actually, when one of the Ukrainian women we housed got her visa to go to Chicago, she was very worried for the safety of her two boys given all the school shootings. Europeans are much more aware what goes on in America than vice-versa. Still, she had a younger sister in Chicago and felt she would have better opportunities there than here in Vilnius, so she left in July.
ReplyDeleteAs for your "ghetto experience," I get a bit of a laugh out of that. I remember when I lived in DC, in what was purportedly the worst neighborhood, I didn't see any violence at all. I would walk about ten blocks to catch a ride from a fellow office worker as I didn't have a car and it took over an hour with public transportation to get to Falls Church. It wasn't overly friendly at first, but eventually the neighbors and I would all greet each other. So, your comments sound hyperbolic at best.
Obviously, we have very different opinions on this but your opinions aren't backed up with facts. You spout anecdotal observations and turn it into some screed.
As for Daina, she is well aware what goes on in the US and is equally worried. It is one of the reasons we chose to stay here. Mostly, she simply doesn't understand how a country can live with guns like that. She vividly recalls the time we ran into some gun nuts in Oregon when we took the kids to visit Crater Lake. As for Biden, she loves him. So glad, the US is giving support not just to Ukraine but Lithuania as well. Can't imagine what the situation would be under Trump.
I already answered your absurd challenge. I'm just curious if you ever get out of New York ;)
I'm not in NY but am in St Paul.
DeleteAt one time I'm at a bus stop in down town waiting for a connector bus to take me to my home in the ghetto. I'm exhausted from a day's activity and reached into my pocket for a candy bar to give me some energy. As I pulled out the candy bar there was a cop pulling a gun at me (evidently, he thought the candy looked like a weapon). Good thing I didn't panic or I'd have been dead.
Washington DC was violent but nowhere as bad as my old neighborhood in East New York section of Brooklyn ~ worse ghetto in US history. Be glad you didn't grow up there as not everyone who is white had the good luck to survive it. Sad that some view these type of experiences as laughable. Trust me, they are not.
As for Biden, the reason for his low popularity ratings are no real secret. While his policies have improved the economy, his open borders and prioritization of overseas conflicts have left people with a real bad taste in their mouths. I hope this doesn't lead to us having another Trump in the White Wash House but it would not surprise me if this is what ultimately happens when you fail to realize that charity begins at home, not abroad.
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 "𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴."
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't be more wrong because as I wrote before and say again, 𝑾𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔. While in your world view, people, somehow, are preoccupied with the Russia-Ukraine matter, people all over the USA are talking about the Memphis police attack and murder of an innocent man. I watched tonight's news. Your war wasn't even brought up. But the news spent much time on this crime and for good reason too: it was predicted and expected because politicians (especially the jackass right wingers) refuse to impose police reforms. Now we face the possibility of more unrest, more counter violence, more casualties, and more wasted tax dollars --- all because of another needless attack on the citizenry by the government. This is what people are talking about - not about some war overseas that is of no consequence and of no interest to the vast majority of Americans. But, as always, instead of imposing needed police reform, instead of increasing health care, instead of removing fent and other dangerous drugs from our streets, instead of helping and sheltering the homeless, and instead of fixing up the decaying infrastructure, the government is stupidly sticking its nose up the ass of some foreign dictator who worships at the feet of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera.
Today we read several reports of Zionist forces bombing targets inside of Iran. This is an act of imperialistic terrorism. While some overseas governments and delusional pundits condemn Putin's actions they remain silent in the face of these terrorist attacks. It's time to apply the same standards across the board. Condemn one, then condemn the other. If you are going to arm Ukraine with our tax dollars, then arm Iran with an equal amount of money. It's only fair.
First you claim "your kids" will ultimately be asked to fight in this war, and now you view it as a distraction. Which is it? Everyone suffers from the problems you cite. In the recent Czech Republic presidential election a populist candidate was playing on these concerns as reasons for the country to pull its support for Ukraine. A war literally in its own backyard. Fortunately, he lost in a landslide. Seems most Czechs remember what it was like to be a puppet state of the Soviet Union.
DeleteAs I said in the post you obviously didn't read, much of this military equipment is available right here in Europe. For instance, the Patriot missiles will be coming from Poland, although the Ukrainian troops will be trained in the US in how to use the launching system. Thousands of NATO tanks sit idly in Europe, used only for military maneuvers. Yes, US tax dollars go toward this, but it is more about reappropriation of military equipment in Europe.
Unfortunately, it is useless talking about this because you beat the same "dead horse" each and every time. It's not like the US can't deal with its domestic issues. It chooses not to. If it wasn't Ukraine, it would be somewhere else the US would focus its interests on. Dealing with drug addiction, housing shortages, police reform, etc. has never ranked high on the list of government priorities. It is sad, but taking your anger out on Biden is fruitless. You should be asking why the city of St. Paul or state of Minnesota doesn't do more to address these problems. As it is, the federal government does provide quite a bit of money for this. I believe $20 billion was set aside for Biden's "Safer America Plan," that would try to deal with police brutality and gun safety issues among other urban problems.
As for Israel, I share many of your grievances. Unfortunately, Iran chose to make its bed with Russia after Trump broke the multi-national nuclear deal. That's too bad and has added to the tensions. Iran is now supplying Russia with kamikaze drones and other military equipment in its war with Ukraine. Not much chance this nuclear deal will be resurrected. And, as we have seen on the news, the human rights violations in Iran, especially toward women, is appalling. Definitely a country the US doesn't want to be dealing with right now, although I condemn Israel's actions. Just adding more fuel to the fire, as usual.
Ironically, Israel is tacitly supporting Russia and in turn Iran by doing nothing to help Ukraine. Given the large Jewish population in Odesa and other Ukrainian cities, not to mention Zelenskyy himself being Jewish, you would think Israel would at least supply missile defense systems to help protect their own people if no one else. But no, Israel provides nothing. Maintaining a cordial relationship with Russia is more important to Israel as it gives them access to Hezbollah enclaves in Syria. Meanwhile, the former head rabbi of Moscow is urging Jews to leave Russia given the rampant antisemitism in the country. Wars like these certainly generate strange bedfellows.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/30/exiled-chief-rabbi-jews-should-leave-russia-while-they-can-pinchas-goldschmidt-war-ukraine
I almost missed this nugget,
Delete"the government is stupidly sticking its nose up the ass of some foreign dictator who worships at the feet of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera."
It seems you are relying almost exclusively on Russian propaganda news sites for your information on Ukraine. Calling Zelenskyy a foreign dictator is priceless! He is a wartime president and therefor has much greater executive authority, but he is hardly a dictator. You seem to be confusing him with Vlad the Impaler. But, you probably subscribe to the view that Russia is the extension of the great socialist revolution started under the Soviet Union. This seems to be what many "progressives" think.
Yea, there are a lot of controversial figures in Eastern European history, including Bandera. Lithuania has these so-called "Nazi collaborators" too, who during WWII chose Germany over the Soviet Union in an effort to protect their states. In retrospect it was a stupid move, as Germany was no less tyrannical than the Soviet Union. At one time, the two collaborated with each other to carve up Eastern Europe, the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
Zelenskyy has never openly praised Bandera. He has praised the Azov battalion for its brave stand at Mariupol steelworks, which does harbor strong Bandera sentiments and is seen as a proto-Nazi organization, particularly by Russia. He has however recognized Bandera's role in the early Ukrainian independence effort between 1918-1922 before being overrun by the Soviet Union. So, it is a little more complex than you describe ; )
https://www.unian.info/politics/10521105-zelensky-on-bandera-ukrainians-should-also-praise-modern-day-heroes.html
PS I enjoy a good argument but unless you can provide something substantial in the way of counterpoints I see no point in belaboring this issue. RT and Global Times don't count ; )
DeleteSuppressing news media and arresting church officials are the actions of dictators. To say this is Russian propaganda is laughable. Yeah, there is antisemitism in Russia according to media reports I've seen. But there are many in Ukraine. And here's a little secret: we got just as much in the USA. On top of all that we have thousands of Tyre Nichol cases to worry about as well as other hassles.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, what goes on there is not my war. We've got enough problems here in the USA. Anyone who believes prioritizing some foreign conflict sure as hell isn't patriotic. Let's just hope that Biden's idiocy in supporting your pal Zelenskyy won't lead to having another Trump in the White House. If it happens then we're all fuckked for life.
These bans related directly to media and churches with Russian ties, which were either acting as agents of the Kremlin or spreading their propaganda. Throughout Eastern Europe, countries have banned Russian news sites and limited the activities of Russian Orthodox churches with ties to the Kremlin for the same reason. This makes sense when you consider the whole point of these media outlets and church organizations is to spread Kremlin propaganda among Russian minorities and those sympathetic to their cause.
DeleteIt doesn't really matter at this point, as you have swallowed the Kremlin propaganda hook, line and sinker. I would almost think you were a Russian troll with the comments you make, but know that it just suits your interests. You want to shut off the world and have the US pour all those military billions into domestic programs which may or may not solve the problems you describe.
For the record, there is nothing the federal government can do about the "thousands of Tyre Nichols cases" because this is a state and local matter. This projection of local problems onto the federal government never ceases to amaze me. You don't get the response you want from your city and state officials, so you expect the President to step in. Talk about autocratic! This isn't his obligation, and if he did you can bet there would be a huge public outcry. As it is, Biden tries to put a program in place to relieve some of the student loan debt in the country, and Republican state attorneys immediately block it through Federal courts with Trump-appointed judges. So tell me how he is going to clean up the police forces around the country?
Come on, Trip! You can do better than this. Even if you don't support providing military aid to Ukraine, quit trying to make Zelenskyy out to be the bad guy. He did nothing to warrant the Russian invasion. Yet, you spit out all the pathetic Russian propaganda in a feeble defense of your pacifist position.
''quit trying to make Zelenskyy out to be the bad guy''
DeleteI'm not. But am pointing out that he's not the angel you are attempting to portray. See:
https://orthochristian.com/138394.html
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/01/29/zelensky-regime-war-against-the-ukrainian-orthodox-church/
All the more reason to remain neutral in this war. I was correct about the need for neutrality in the Vietnam war, the Iraq war, Afghanistan, and about Trump's brief and unwise bombing during the Assad matter in Syria. History proved me correct then and it will do the same in this present matter. It is none of our goddamn business. We have more pressing problems at home with inflation, degenerating infrastructure, white supremacist domestic terrorism, drugs such as fent in the streets, police killing and arresting of innocent blacks and browns, and more troubles. We need to solve our problems, not yours. Any real patriot would say the same.
"you spit out all the pathetic Russian propaganda in a feeble {sic} defense of your pacifist position"
DeletePrecisely what I was told when this happened:
https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.9cc4282b09155d3b8a5b86f9a43f5cac?rik=juCMs3J%2fv1HNYg&pid=ImgRaw&r=0
but it turns out that I was correct - same with the other wars and with today's news
I don't see what Kent St. has to do with any of this but no matter. You will believe what you want to believe regardless of facts. What fascinates me is how the left wing of the Democratic Party and right wing of the Republican Party now seem to occupy the same space, riddled with misinformation, conspiracy theories and paranoia. When their progressive darlings choose to support the Ukraine aid packages, they pile into town halls to heckle them. Although it was apparently a bunch of Tulsi Gabbard supporters at AOC's town hall. It makes it so easy for Russia to play both sides of the divide.
Deletehttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/aoc-yelled-tulsi-gabbard-fans-184302375.html
Members of the left? Look again: Tulsi Gabbard is not a Democrat. Diane Sare is a LaRouche candidate {conspiracy theorist supreme} as is supporter Jose Vega who is shown in that link.
DeleteThis is what happens when you resort to emotional and paranoidal mania rather than to rational discourse.
As for Kent State, like I said I was correct back then, was correct about Iraq both times, was correct about Afghanistan, and remain so today.
By the way, this Jose Vega character who you linked to was also correct in pointing out that people are dropping dead like flies in Harlem, in all cities throughout the USA, and tens of thousands remain homeless. In addition, millions (myself included) remain without health care to support our basic needs while people like you celebrate the wastage of more billions upon more billions of our tax dollars in support of your incessant wars. People like you sure as hell are generous with our money.
As I recall most of the country was against the war in Iraq and ambivalent about Afghanistan. Bush failed to get the UN to go along with his war resolution on Iraq and created his so-called Coalition of the Willing, which essentially boiled down to the US, UK, and Poland, as neither Spain nor Australia were willing to provide military support. Not that it really mattered, as the US had all the military heft it needed to overthrow Hussein. That was indeed a black mark in American FP and the whole world recognized it as such.
DeleteIronically, Putin made a play for Iraq before the war, as he tried to strike a deal with Hussein to modernize the country's infrastructure. This at a time Russia had a very poor infrastructure itself. Mostly, Putin wanted to gain control of Iraq's oil and mineral reserves, as Iraq still owed Russia billions from all the military equipment it had been supplied by the Soviet Union during its war with Iran. Even more ironically, Russia is now allied with Iran, but then the US and USSR/Russia have long been switching allegiances with countries in Central Asia in their attempt to control the region.
Anyway, the war was wrong but the outcome was better than most persons expected. Iraq is a far more independent country now than it was before with a viable government and relatively stable society. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for Afghanistan.
The problem though has always been want to do with USSR/Russia. They really are one in the same. We used to always try to draw a distinction but today's Russia openly embraces its Soviet past,
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/02/01/stalin-monument-unveiled-to-mark-80th-anniversary-of-stalingrad-victory-a80113
You can say that Ukraine is just the latest chapter in this ongoing Cold War, but it is more than that as Ukraine had a past before having it ripped from under its feet by Tsarist Russia and later the Soviet Union. It is trying to reestablish its historic identity only for Contemporary Russia to deny it, which Putin has openly done in his many speeches defending the war. Most Russians do not consider Ukraine as being a separate country. Hence that leads to widespread animosity, which you pick up on in your subsequent tennis comment.
The following is one of the most incredibly ironic things I have ever seen in my long life:
ReplyDelete𝑈𝑘𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑆𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑊𝑒𝑑𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑅𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑡𝒉𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝑂𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑐 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑤'𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝒉𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦, 𝒉𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝐾𝑦𝑖𝑣'𝑠 𝑡𝒉𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑦𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑡.
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/ukraines-elina-svitolina-calls-ban-russians-belarusians-2023-02-01/
Here's the ironic part:
"The Olympics are the biggest dream and ultimate privilege for athletes. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, capturing the attention of the world," Svitolina said in a statement on Twitter.
"With this in mind we must stick to banning Russian and Belarusian athletes... that we are united in the sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus and that there are consequences for the heinous acts of their governments.
Get it? She acknowledges that the games are for inclusion and diversity but then calls for ELIMINATION of qualified athletes whose presence would strengthen those games! Incredible!!
Imagine what certain delusional Americans of the radical far right would have said if anyone dared to utter similar words during Bush's two wars of imperialistic terrorism in the Middle East.
Just incredible.
Really incredible given the massive doping scheme the Russians concocted at the 2014 Sochi games. Virtually all their athletes were tainted, which led to Olympic bans the following years. Only now France wants to reinstate Russian athletes ahead of its summer games, just not wave their flag around the track. Not like Russians couldn't compete as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) before. So, they never really were punished for their illegal use of performance enhancing drugs. Now, they invade countries for no reason and expect to compete in international events. I agree whole heartedly with Elina. Of course, many Russian athletes have smartly applied for citizenship in other countries. Elena Rybakina, who won at Wimbledon last year, now plays for Kazakhstan, and was rather coy when confronted about the war,
Deletehttps://www.marca.com/en/tennis/wimbledon/2022/07/09/62c9d5f6ca4741653c8b45b1.html
If these Russian athletes are not willing to denounce the war they shouldn't be allowed to compete. That includes all those Russians playing in the NHL who meet each year to play a friendly game with Vlad on the ice. So far, the NHL has done nothing to sanction Russian players who openly support Putin like Alexander Ovechkin.
PS I don't see how Russian athletes strengthen the Games given the ongoing doping allegations, refusal to abide by international norms and unwillingness to distance themselves from the corrupt sports machine that Putin uses to give the perception of strength in international events. The Olympics would be better off without Russians, quite frankly. If they fear for their lives then they can defect to other countries. That way they can continue to compete. Or, they can compete under the Olympic flag, as athletes have done, including Russians,
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Olympians_at_the_Olympic_Games
The USA and Dominican Republican (especially the latter) used many doped up players during the World Baseball Classic from 2006 to 2013 and thereafter. There have been other doping scandals, too many to discuss here. While the athletes have received sanctions for their errors, their countries did not. When considering how Russia was treated, I'd say that was a double standard.
DeleteBut everyone knows the real reason why Russia is banned while the USA athletes were not when traitor Bush launched his genocidal wars of imperialistic terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. Banning the USA would have meant loss of billions in revenues from TV coverage. This for the WTA, Olympics, basketball, golf, and other sports. Sad that the sports world has prostituted their sports for Yankee revenues.
They have no principles, no morals, no rationality whatsoever. It's all about money.
quoting Gintaras:
𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦.
I have seen others making this same suggestion on other web forums. As always, I am compelled to ask , 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗵'𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘀? 𝗜𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁?
That's a pretty lame reply as Russia/USSR has been doping its athletes since doping became available. Its endemic in their system. Several Russian athletes have spoken out about it, including gold medal high jumper Mariya Lasitskene, but nothing has been done. Hell, USSR and Russia were even awarded the Olympics in 1980 and 2014.
DeleteYea, it would be nice if the Olympic Games were above politics, but they are not. After all, the IOC allowed Hitler to host the Olympics back in 1936. So, do we just keep allowing this to happen, or do we push the IOC to finally do something about rogue countries? It could always allow athletes to compete as individuals as originally intended, not represent countries. Eliminate team sports, other than to allow pairs to compete with whoever they like regardless of country. That seems to me to be the easiest solution. This flag waving has always galled me, especially since so many foreign athletes live and train in countries other than their own due to lack of Olympic-caliber facilities.
Now, you get countries that literally grant citizenship to potential medal winners as Russia did at Sochi by paying American Vic Wild to compete as a "Russian." He won two gold medals.
"Sad that the sports world has prostituted their sports for Yankee revenues."
ReplyDeleteThis is quite funny when you consider the NBA issued a gag order on players speaking out against China, a market they have been cultivating for years. The NHL similarly avoids talking about Russia given so many Russian stars in the league and the popularity of the league in Russia. So, this "prostitution" works any number of ways, but you conveniently look for incidents to defend your weak points. Anyway, Russian athletes will most likely be allowed to compete without a flag at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. So, all this talk is for nothing.
True, Hitler did host the Olympics in 1936 but Germany hadn't invaded anybody at that point. The USA launched multiple international invasions over the past decades killing over a million innocents but nothing was done about it by the IOC. After all, who wants to lose all that television revenue? Better to keep wiping the butts of your wealthy patrons than to forfeit the large revenues they will generate. If all those delusionals who want sanctions against Russia had been consistent they would have demanded the same treatment for the USA. But you know what they say about money talks and bullshit walks.
DeletePerhaps no league tolerated roids more than did MLB. The players association refused to allow the leagues to test for roids with the result that we had muscled up players breaking records (this from 1991-2003). All those players from the Dominican Republican broke records that had stood for decades. Nobody bothered to put a stop to it until it was too late. Crying about Russian roid use while ignoring other's sins becomes laughable under those circumstances.
Good thing nobody is calling for dismissal of Chinese players from the NBA for its internal racism or Russians from the NHL for its "invasion". If they did mebbe some would call for dismissing American players for the imperialist wars it started and for its racism. What a thought that would be.
Bottom line is for the international community to be 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬. If you are going to impose sanctions on one for its evils then you MUST do the same for the others, especially for those who did significantly worse such as the USA and East African nations. Cut the crying bullshit and the inconsistencies if you want to be believed.
Part I:
ReplyDeleteI can see this will go around in circles for days but one last thought on my part. NATO was set up to protect Europe from Soviet aggression. There was a big move after the collapse of the USSR to disband NATO as the Warsaw Pact had fallen apart. However, these Eastern European countries were extremely vulnerable as they were asked to essentially give up their military arsenals before entering EU negotiations. Ukraine was one of those countries. It gave up its nuclear weapons as well as much of its arsenal, essentially rendering itself helpless to any future Russian aggression.
No sooner had it done this than Russia meddled in its elections, resulting in the election of pro-Kremlin Kuchma, who served from 1994-2005. Russia also meddled in the Belarusian elections the same year, resulting in the election of Lukashenko, who still serves as president nearly 30 years later. That's the way things operate over here. Sensing that Russia wanted to reassert its dominance in the region, the remaining Eastern European countries sought NATO ascension. Naturally, Russia was opposed because this meant these countries would all have military support. Something neither Belarus nor Ukraine had. Europe was split over this as it was already working out deals with Russia for natural gas, oil, coal and timber and didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest, but eventually Germany, France and Turkey relented, and the first wave of Eastern European countries became NATO members in 1997.
Despite all the grumblings everything was fine until 2005 when Ukraine experienced its second revolution, the so-called Orange Revolution, which led to a new government with Yuskchenko. Ukraine saw how rapidly the other Eastern European countries were developing thanks to EU trade agreements and ascension in 2004 and restarted negotiation talks. This of course angered the Kremlin to no end, as it was desperately trying to make something out of its Post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) hoping that it would one day rival the EU. It couldn't afford to lose Ukraine.
This is when the propaganda machine went into full operation. Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik were created in the aftermath of reasserting control of the state media. The aim was to spread its message beyond a Russian-speaking audience so the programs were in English. It peddled all sorts of fabrications, mostly in regard to NATO, claiming that Russia and the US had secretly agreed to no expansion in the Eastern European countries. Shades of the Molotov-Ribentrop Pact. It was a convenient lie as there would be no record of such an agreement.
The aim was to influence Western European governments, particularly Italy, where Putin had an ally in Berlusconi, who was PM at the time. Putin also cultivated ties with Germany through Schroder's Social Democratic Party, signing the Nordstream deal in 2005. Schroder stepped down shortly there after and had been serving as a board member of Rosneft until 2022, when the war broke out. Russia also worked on France and other countries, gaining a sympathetic ear among a broad spectrum of political parties thanks to its mixed messages.
Part II:
ReplyDeleteBy softening up Western Europe, Putin could sit back and pick his cherries in Eastern Europe at his convenience. No one batted an eyelash when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, which had similarly gone through a revolution, displacing its post-Soviet government, and was seeking EU and NATO integration. Putin felt like he was King of the World.
Obama tried to reset relations with Russia, meeting with a giddy Medvedev, who was serving as Putin's proxy. Of course, Putin wouldn't let Medvedev alone in the same room with Obama, fearing he might give away the farm.
Eastern European leaders were livid but what could they do? SoS Hillary Clinton had been in Vilnius a short time before offering assurances that the US would not compromise its position on Eastern Europe, speaking out harshly against Putin. Obama appeared to pursue these talks on his own as Hillary was not with him in Moscow. She chose not to serve a second term as SoS.
It really did seem like the US wanted better relations with Russia. I suppose the theory was that this would ease tensions along the Eastern European border. Obama had abandoned the missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, leading to even more frustration in the region. Many felt it was Yalta all over again and that the US was selling out the Eastern European countries to Russia.
Then came the "I told you so" moment. Russia invaded Ukraine claiming the US was behind the Euromaidan protests over the winter of 2013-14. This had nothing to do with the US but rather Kremlin-back Yanukovych, who had won over Yushchenko in the 2008 elections, reneging on an EU trade agreement. Putin couldn't afford to lose Ukraine again and so he chose to invade it, cleaving off Crimea and fomenting a civil war in the Donbas. He probably would have gone further but Russia had lavishly spent $50 billion on the 2014 Winter Olympics, by far the most money ever spent on any Olympic Games, and had little to spend on a full scale war. Unfortunate in retrospect, as Ukraine would have been easy pickings.
Obama wisely changed his position and since 2014 the US has been giving Ukraine military assistance in its ongoing war in the Donbas. The training Ukrainian soldiers received put them in good stead when Putin finally felt he had the forces necessary to retake Ukraine last February. He had hoped that NATO countries would be war-weary after their failed effort in Afghanistan, but as it turned out this relit the fire in these counties, as they finally realized what the purpose of NATO was to begin with.
The Soviet Union never went away. Yes, there were four years where we lulled ourselves into thinking that the new Russia under Boris Yeltsin could be a reliable international partner, but Yeltsin was never really more than a front man for the old Soviet nomenklatura and in his second term initiated the war in Chechnya to reclaim this wayward Russian oblast. He failed so the nomenklatura installed a new front man in Putin, who came to power through staged elections in 2000. Vlad would not disappoint them. He brutally suppressed the Chechen uprising, and has been enjoying an undeterred reign ever since.
Part III:
ReplyDeleteI suppose Russia thought the whole Euromaidan thing was over when Poroshenko lost badly to Zelenskyy in 2019 and talk about EU and NATO ascension would be over. Many thought, including myself, that Zelenskyy was just another Kremlin proxy. After all, his biggest supporter was a Russian Jewish media mogul who was living in exile in Israel, after falling out favor with the Ukrainian government.
Well, it turned out Zelenskyy was nobody's stooge, and has upstaged Putin on the world stage. Not only has Ukraine held its own in this war, but Zelenskyy is the most talked-about world leader. He is continually invited to speak before parliaments, international award shows and music festivals around the globe, including Sanremo, an Italian music festival that has been a favorite of Russian-speaking people for decades. This would be a huge blow for Putin as it would allow Zelenskyy to speak directly to Russians everywhere, unless of course he plans to ban the telecast in Russia unless a Kremlin representative is not allowed to speak in turn,
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/02/02/president-zelenskyys-planned-appearance-at-italys-sanremo-music-festival-sparks-criticism
Anyway, all this is probably a wasted effort but I hope it puts the war in a broader context. It represents not just an existential crisis for Ukraine but all of Eastern Europe and in turn Western Europe, as a victory for Putin would change the entire dynamic in Europe. Basically, Hitler 2.0, only we have a good chance to take him out before he gets that far.
Also, if Putin wins it will embolden China, who will be very tempted to launch its long-deferred invasion of Taiwan, and probably gain control of the entire Indo-Chinese region in the process. What then?
This is why it is incumbent on the US to make a stand. It is too bad we distracted ourselves with Afghanistan and Iraq. These were needless wars that gave Russia the cover to justify its own aggression. I see it works with all the references you provide, most of which you appear to glean from RT.
So, don't be a dupe! Take time to understand the nature of this crisis more thoroughly. End of lecture.
"NATO was set up to protect Europe from SOVIET aggression"
ReplyDeleteAs predicted by many international scholars, the Soviet Union (like the Warsaw Pact) was dissolved years ago. NATO should have been dissolved as well. It is useless and totally contrary to the USA's interests.
As for a different view on the crisis. See:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/24/sp-ukraine-russia-cold-war
I leave it up to the reader to determine whose perspectives is more truthful. Whatever the case, it's none of our goddamn business. Time to withdraw from and to dissolve NATO. Anybody else who wants a war? Go enlist or start your own army. Fight and pay for your own war.
''if Putin wins it will embolden China, who will be very tempted to launch its long-deferred invasion of Taiwan, and probably gain control of the entire Indo-Chinese region in the process. What then?''
ReplyDeleteSame thing was said when the Soviets were in power. Same BS same myths. Not a word of truth in it. But even if true, who da ᶠᵘᶜᵏᵏ cares? That's their problem, not ours. I won't lose a minute's sleep over it. When China took over Hong Kong which was rightfully theirs from the beginning, did this cause the start of Armageddon? Of course not.
Sorry to say Gintaras that while you do have extensive knowledge of history your debating skills are piss poor as can be. For all the posts you've made on this subject you wouldn't convince anyone that we need to intervene militarily in those foreign affairs. This especially in view of all the political ₛₕᵢₜ that goes on in the ghettoes with these fascist cops killing people and spreading drugs around each and every day. Small wonder why you've lost your audience from this blog.
While Gintaras' priority is Ukraine, as an American from a poverty background this is my priority: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVZsDMm6UVc&ab_channel=AJ%2B
DeleteIf the government can afford $65 billion to finance Zelenskyy's war machinery, it can readily afford to pay for these people's problems. Now let's solve these problems before we help anyone else.
"Sorry to say Gintaras that while you do have extensive knowledge of history your debating skills are piss poor as can be."
ReplyDeleteWhat I see is a guy who has no argument, so keeps citing "poverty" as his excuse for non-engagement. It just shows me you know nothing about the conflict or the history in the region.
Quite the contrary, you don't know what's going on in the USA nowadays. Try telling that poor 83 year old in the video that Ukraine is more important than he is. That getting thrown out on the streets does him a great favor and the same with those other folks. Unlike you whenever I take a walk or go shopping I get stopped on the streets by homeless people looking for a handout because they don't know where their next meal is coming from. Ask your hero Zelenskyy what he thinks about these impoverished people who starve, freeze, or die on the streets. I bet he gives less of a shit about them than you do.
DeleteUnlike you, I don't. They are my neighbors and charity begins at home. All this bullshit that Russians are out to conquer the world is the same crap we've been hearing for over a hundred years. I'm old enough to remember hearing this garbage since the late 1950s. Not a word of truth in this excretious BS. And just remember that it is BS like your ideas that will cost Biden and the Democrats the White House. Then we'll get another Bush and things will really get ᶠᵘᶜᵏᵏᵉᵈ ᵘᵖ beyond all manner of repair.
... and remember that one is always free to enlist in Zelenskyy's mercenary forces. This way they can back up their principles with action. We live in a world where mere words are of little value. Actions speak louder. MUCH louder. Want a war? Set an example for everyone else by enlisting. As for me, I'll be sitting in my lounge chair watching the war on TV sipping away on a tasty milkshake or apple cider tea.
DeleteSend me a picture postcard from the battle front. I'll be waiting for it ...
I'm just curious how much you contribute, Trip, or if this is all posturing? I don't see any meaningful arguments. You won't even acknowledge that the problems stem from your own local and state government. You seem to think that Biden should pour all federal dollars into relieving this homeless crisis, the way you natter on. That isn't going to win him the election. Quite the contrary. Republicans would pounce on him as they do any federal "give away" program. Look at them now threatening to ax Social Security and Medicare. You think a handful of "Progressives" are going to turn the tide in 2024. Hardly. Ilhan Omar barely held onto her House seat in the Democratic primaries against a Centrist candidate. Even the Democratic party is split as to which way to go next November.
DeleteThe sad part is that you don't even seem to grasp what is going on in the country around you, just in your little neighborhood. That's fine if you actually do something about it instead of just posting empty arguments.
''you don't even seem to grasp what is going on in the country around you''
DeleteLaughable coming from someone sitting comfortably in his European ivory tower. Had you troubled yourself to look at that link I posted it shows news from Arizona - a place I've never been to and which shows the same problem going on all over the USA. This is what we need to prioritize. Instead, we continue to bail out Europe whose problems persist after thousands of years and who refuse to solve their problems.
And just why do Republican threaten Social Security? Because so many of them resent the $65 billion giveaway Biden has made to your hero Zelenskyy. Do you remember what happened when Florida suffered a weather disaster? Instead of using its $20 billion surplus to pay for relief, it asked Biden to bail them out. That's what always happens. Everybody wants a piece of the pie.
You don't see any meaningful arguments in my posts? You're dreaming pal. Biden has succeeded in creating 15 million new jobs. All he needs to do now is to secure the border, expand ACA, and complete the infrastructure plan. This will insure another Democrat win in 2024. By contrast, it's ideas like yours that are going to cause the Repukeblicons to win back the White Wash House. Then we will all get screwed again.
Said before and will say again ~ your debating skills are piss poor. Try telling all that to the 83 year old homeless man that our money belongs in Europe rather than here at home. People will laugh at your pathetically weak arguments.
Try again.
Any more laughable than your comments on Eastern Europe? I think not 😉
Delete^ anonymous comments from peanut gallery
ReplyDeletemeanwhile protests against war from the left: https://www.workers.org/2023/01/68784/
unlike certain pro war delusionals they know that war is for the profit of the rich - don't agree? go ahead and enlist and fight your own war
Actually, I was the one who threw the peanuts. I wrote from my cellphone.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deleteinteresting pic from today's dem underground site:
ReplyDeletehttps://i.imgur.com/vXxCjpw.png
usually it's the Pukies who are pro war but not this time - as for me, I remain consistent in my ideals: neutrality at all times. fix our problems at home as there is too much suffering going on
Russell Brand on the war: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr-UN5vxwYo&ab_channel=RussellBrand
DeleteHe quotes internationals who assert that the pro war crowd quashed efforts to stop negotiations to prevent violence. Interesting if true though it would not surprise me in the least if this is so.