Saner Minds, Hopefully
With the world in a very dangerous place after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the one thing just about everyone worldwide hopes is that saner minds will prevail. There are always plenty of hotheads and madmen in the midst of a crisis, but we can all certainly hope that the cooler heads will win out in the end.
I say this to address both sides of the fight. Obviously, the entire planet hopes that saner minds within Russia will eventually prevail over Vladimir Putin's self-destructive madness. Somehow, the hope is, Putin will be stopped from his belligerence. How, exactly, is left unsaid -- since nobody really has an answer to that. Putin holds pretty much all the reins of power within Russia, and so far he has shown no signs whatsoever of flinching in any way from fully using them to achieve his goals. At the very least, the hope is that Putin won't lob a nuclear weapon into the fray -- which once would have been unthinkable, but these days there aren't a whole lot of things that truly qualify as unthinkable when it comes to Putin. As Russia intelligence expert Fiona Hill put it in a recent interview with Politico, when asked if she thought Putin really would use a nuclear weapon: "The thing about Putin is, if he has an instrument, he wants to use it. Why have it if you can't?" This is not some armchair analyst on a cable news show, this is a woman who was hired to provide such intelligence to three successive U.S. presidents. So it's hard not to take her opinion very seriously.
Hill also points out during this interview that Putin issued a veiled threat to Donald Trump when the two met, although she did express doubts that Trump even understood what Putin was alluding to (emphasis in original):
Putin tried to warn Trump about this, but I don't think Trump figured out what he was saying. In one of the last meetings between Putin and Trump when I was there, Putin was making the point that: "Well you know, Donald, we have these hypersonic missiles." And Trump was saying, "Well, we will get them too." Putin was saying, "Well, yes, you will get them eventually, but we've got them first." There was a menace in this exchange. Putin was putting us on notice that if push came to shove in some confrontational environment that the nuclear option would be on the table.
In other words: it is not the best time to have a "missile gap" (as the Cold War saying went).
On our side of the fight, we've got our own hotheads, and it is a little different than what we've all become accustomed to because for once we largely have bipartisan agreement on the basic question of backing Ukraine in their existential fight with Russia (meaning it's not really a partisan fight at all, here at home -- a real rarity, these days). The question is to what extent should we do so? Ratcheting up economic sanctions certainly seems almost inevitable right now, with Congress even proposing kicking Russia out of the World Trade Organization (which would definitely hurt Putin). New ideas for how to punish Russia economically pop up every day, it seems. But most of these ideas don't carry the risks the military proposals do. And the hotheads just refuse to even consider what the possible consequences of some of the military ideas they are pushing for might be.
This is why I found myself -- astonishingly -- agreeing wholeheartedly with what Senator Marco Rubio had to say yesterday morning. This may be the first time I have ever agreed wholeheartedly with Rubio on any issue, in fact. But Rubio said exactly what saner minds have been thinking, when asked about the possibility of declaring a "no-fly zone" over Ukrainian airspace. Here's Rubio's full answer to George Stephanopoulos, who (as far too many in the media seem to be doing these days) either did not know this basic fact (scary) or was pretending he didn't know it (even scarier, but in a different way):
"A no-fly zone has become a catchphrase. I'm not sure a lot of people fully understand what that means," [Senator Marco] Rubio told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week.
"That means flying AWACS [military Airborne Warning And Control Systems airplanes] 24 hours a day. That means the willingness to shoot down and engage Russian airplanes in the sky. That means, frankly, you can't put those planes up there unless they're willing to knock out the anti-aircraft systems that the Russians have deployed... not just in Ukraine but Russia and also in Belarus," Rubio said.
"So basically a no-fly zone, if people understand what it means, it means World War III. It means starting World War III," Rubio said. "It's not some rule you pass that everybody has to oblige by. It's the willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian Federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III."
It pains me to say it, but Rubio is entirely correct. That is precisely what it would mean. The American military would be targeting Russian fighters and radars and assumably killing members of the Russian military. There's another description for that, and it is "open warfare." And open warfare between the two biggest nuclear powers on Earth is not a thing to suggest lightly. Which far too many people suggesting a "no-fly zone" don't even seem to realize.
The warfare doesn't even need to be open for there to be consequences, either. This is something few have brought up in the current discussions about what America should do to aid Ukraine. If we are supplying the Ukrainian military with weapons, then whether we are de jure military allies (with full diplomatic treaties and whatnot) or simply de facto allies (where we just send them weapons while still diplomatically maintaining we are a neutral country in the conflict), that is not going to matter to the soldiers on the battlefield. If American anti-tank missiles are being effectively used against Russian tanks (and they are, from all accounts), then eventually Russia is going to consider cutting off the supply lines for these items. And if the shipments are heading straight from NATO countries to Ukraine (as indeed they are), then Russia will consider itself justified to attack these supply lines even within NATO countries. What seems like a safe alternative to most people at this point could become very dangerous indeed, to put this another way.
Even the current idea on the table -- sending fighter jets to Ukraine -- has this complexity built into it. Countries like Poland are considering what will essentially be a swap. They'll give their older MiG jets to Ukraine and in exchange they will get brand-new up-to-date fighters from the United States to replace them. This would strengthen NATO (by modernization) and it would provide immediate help to the Ukrainians (whose pilots already know how to fly MiG-29s). Win-win all around, in other words. But once again, it would mean NATO openly providing military assistance to a nation at war. Meaning no pretense of "neutrality" would be available.
Of course, with his army stretched so thin and having such problems, these risks don't seem too bad. At least, for now -- but the situation would become a lot riskier if Russia does manage to occupy all of Ukraine and we were supplying the weapons to an insurgency, mostly because the Russian military wouldn't be as busy and tied down as they are now. For now, however, Putin would be absolutely insane to bomb a truck convoy inside eastern Poland (for example), even if they were rolling eastward one mile short of the Ukrainian border and stuffed to the gills with Javelin and Stinger missiles.
Saner minds would prevail. Wouldn't they?
That's precisely the problem. For once, America is on the other end of Richard Nixon's "madman theory" of war. And just like the theory predicted (and Nixon used in Vietnam), when the other side has no real idea what lengths the "madman" in charge of an enemy country will go, measuring risks and possibilities no longer becomes a rational equation. It becomes almost impossible to calculate the risks involved in any new plan, because it all comes down to: "Will he, or won't he?" Putin already held nuclear readiness drills in the preparations for his invasion, and he has darkly warned the world of nuclear consequences should any other country intervene in any way. He wouldn't even have to nuke a NATO country; if he gets frustrated enough he could just nuke Kyiv or any of the other cities resisting the Russian forces besieging them. With a madman able to push the nuclear button, anything is possible.
Which is why, hopefully, saner heads will prevail. No matter what that turns out to mean -- on either side of this conflict. But at this point, it is nothing more than an earnest hope.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
CW
There are always plenty of hotheads and madmen in the midst of a crisis, but we can all certainly hope that the cooler heads will win out in the end.
While they may not win out in the end, I can tell you they're definitely not going down without a fight. There's an intercept that Ukraine has killed General Major Vitaly Gerasimov near Kharkiv and Russians there have lost all secure communications via Era (supposed to be indestructible *shakes head*) and they're having to communicate using local SIM card... thus, the intercept.
Chris,
The thing is that what could end this disaster for Ukraine and well beyond is what could have prevented it in the first place.
And open warfare between the two biggest nuclear powers on Earth is not a thing to suggest lightly. Which far too many people suggesting a "no-fly zone" don't even seem to realize.
Including the Ukrainian president.
And if the shipments are heading straight from NATO countries to Ukraine (as indeed they are), then Russia will consider itself justified to attack these supply lines even within NATO countries. What seems like a safe alternative to most people at this point could become very dangerous indeed, to put this another way.
And, to put it another way, the West is just prolonging the war and suffering and increasing the civilian death count so long as they keep supplying more weapons and ammunition without getting into the war all the way.
Why not just make an announcement and sign a document saying that Ukraine will remain a sovereign but neutral state and never aspire to NATO membership, etc.?
Because, that is the only logical end to this war.
Which is why, hopefully, saner heads will prevail. No matter what that turns out to mean -- on either side of this conflict.
See my [5]!
And, Chris, if I hear Biden or any other US official say that they stand by the Democratic principle that it is up to sovereign nations to choose their own alliances, then I will know for sure that your country really is being run by "dummies", as an astute American political analyst recently observed.
Elizabeth Miller
5
Why not just make an announcement and sign a document saying that Ukraine will remain a sovereign but neutral state and never aspire to NATO membership, etc.?
Because:
Ukraine has been aspiring to NATO membership since 2008, never stopped aspiring, and has a "membership application" that is indeed still pending.
Also -- as you suggested yourself very recently -- should Moscow occupy Kyiv and succeed in conquering all of Ukraine, the result would be a self-fulfilling prophecy that would move Russia's border smack onto the eastern edge of NATO. So if an Eastern border with NATO nations was Putin's primary concern, his victory would assure that actual outcome... thus proving it's obviously not his primary concern.
Now, promise me you'll connect the dots of recent American history and focus on the big picture. :)
World war 3 or not, Putin's actions toward Ukraine are evil. If we don't stand up to him now, it's not as if he'll stop the invasions at Ukraine, or Poland, or Lithuania.
Kick,
War or no war, Ukraine will never qualify for membership in NATO.
Kick,
if an Eastern border with NATO nations was Putin's primary concern, his victory would assure that actual outcome... thus proving it's obviously not his primary concern.
But, that still would still the former Ukraine, a pretty large piece of real estate, between Moscow and the West. So, Putin wins, either way.
Okay, then , stop aspiring. :)
Kick,
Now, promise me you'll connect the dots of recent American history and focus on the big picture. :)
Putin's war in Ukraine won't end well for anyone if the US and all of its allies can't bring themselves to negotiate a way out of this global mess. I ain't holding my breath.
It's really funny how everyone tries to tell me what I should and shouldn't focus on. WTF!
By the way, that's WTF for Win the Future. Ahem. And, my handle for Poker Stars, before I left as the new and improved version didn't meet with my approval. :)
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CW, this is your worse column in memory. There's so much here that's off the mark that I'm going to take the time I need to cover everything.
I'd rather respond now before the deluge of spewage but I'll have to trust y'all to find me tomorrow morning.
Department of Hints--
The world and everyone in it besides the combatants are in better shape today than pre invasion.
Department of Hints, Redux--
Putin has already lost this war.
G'Nite, all.
that's saner minds, not stoner minds. silly people.
@racist cad
I'd rather respond now before the deluge of spewage but I'll have to trust y'all to find me tomorrow morning.
TRANSLATION: I am too stoned out of my head to even have a coherent thought, so I am just going to pass out.. :^/
that's saner minds, not stoner minds. silly people.
I know, right!? Jeeeze, racist cad is such a luser druggie, no wonder he can't hold a job.. :^/
Worthless piece of flotsam living off government hand-outs..
racist cad, yer such a luser..
And not a SINGLE person here will address the FACT that Basement Biden and the Democrats are funding Putin's Ukraine war machine....
"Gee... I wonder why that is!!"
-Kevin Spacey, THE NEGOTIATOR
"Silence Gives Assent"
-The Democrat Party
It's really funny how everyone tries to tell me what I should and shouldn't focus on. WTF!
That's because your incessant desire to justify Putin's attacks on Ukraine is annoying..
ANY free country has the right to self-determination... If Ukraine wants to join NATO, they have that right... Period.. End Trans...
Put it into a context that you can readily understand..
Adolph Trudeau unequivocally demands that the US NOT enter into the a Nuclear Deal with Iran and then attacks the US when the US makes moves in that direction..
According to YOUR Putin-love beliefs, THAT is perfectly acceptable...
You see how irrational and illogical and untenable your position is??
We better hope that "saner minds" prevail..
Because if Putin starts lobbing nukes here at the US, we are completely and utterly defenseless..
And WHO do we have to thank for this??
Basement Biden and the Democrat Party...
DC Elites Have Opened Americans To Nuclear Attack, So Americans Must Protect Themselves
America’s Democratic elites have intentionally left us vulnerable to nuclear attack in the belief that nuclear war was not possible.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/03/07/dc-elites-have-opened-americans-to-nuclear-attack-so-americans-must-protect-themselves/
Thanx to Basement Biden and the Democrats, the US has absolutely NO defense systems in place to counter ICBMs or SLBMs...
Thanx Democrats :^/
For all of our tough talk about America’s military might, the United States does not possess a missile defense capable of stopping Russian or Chinese ballistic missiles. We are also not able to stop a ship-launched ballistic missile should the Iranians or any other nation choose to serve as a surrogate for such an attack.
Although President Reagan proposed a missile defense 40 years ago, a comprehensive, multilayered missile defense system from land, sea, air, and space has never been completed. Not coincidentally, the Democratic Party has opposed building such a defense throughout this period, never more so than by Joe Biden as senator, vice president, and now as president.
Basement Biden has been at the fore front of keeping the US defenseless against the ballistic missile threat..
Thanx for nothing, Basement Biden...
Biden’s predecessor, Barack Obama, famously told Russian President Medvedev in 2012 to tell Putin not to worry about American missile defense, because Obama would have more “flexibility” after the election. This was Obama’s way of saying that he could not publicly come out against missile defense during a campaign year, but not to worry since he was not going to build one against the Russian arsenal anyway.
Ahhh yes, I remember Odumbo's move...
Sold the US out to Putin....
Russia Knows We Can’t Protect Ourselves
America’s Democratic elites, especially those in the White House today, have intentionally left us vulnerable to nuclear attack in the belief that war, especially nuclear war, was not possible. This was underscored by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announcing to the world that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
But the Russians believe quite the opposite. They believe that war is man’s permanent condition and that nuclear weapons are merely one more aspect of war that must be mastered. The mere fact that they possess the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, are modernizing it with hypersonic reentry vehicles, and have built a missile defense to protect the Russian people, is evidence of this.
It is therefore not surprising that Russia does not take threats from the United States seriously. They know both that we do not possess a national missile defense and therefore won’t escalate hostilities beyond a certain point, and even if we did—out of a gross strategic miscalculation—we are ill-prepared to fight and win such an exchange. However sound Theodore Roosevelt’s admonition to “speak softly and carry a big stick” may have been through most of our history, speaking softly and carrying a big shield—as in ballistic missile defense—is a sounder corollary in the nuclear age.
Basement Biden's administration is as moronic as any Democrat could be...
And THAT says something..
Putin slithered into Ukraine as Biden dithered
Fatal flaw in sanctions
The proof is that not a single idea advanced by the West, from bank sanctions to sending Ukraine some defense weapons to seizing the yachts of Russian oligarchs, has one chance in a thousand of stopping Putin’s war machine. The efforts may prolong the fighting but won’t change the outcome.
Because both Europe and the United States are addicted to Russian oil, the sanctions steered clear of Mad Vlad’s energy business, a compromise that guts the ostensible aim of making it too painful for him to continue.
In effect, those calling for an end to the war are also financing its continuation.
https://nypost.com/2022/03/05/putin-slithered-into-ukraine-as-biden-dithered/
Exactly this^^^^^... Basement Biden and the Democrats are FUNDING Putin's war...
And no one here can respond to that.. Because the FACTS are incontrovertible and undisputed..
I always know when I have you people on the run intellectually.. Ya'all clam up.. :D
SILENCE GIVES ASSENT
-Democrats
Meanwhile, the one consistent Ukrainian request, made both by their Churchillian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and stricken ordinary citizens interviewed on TV, is for a no-fly zone to neutralize Putin’s air superiority. So far, the answer is no because of fears the move would lead to unintended combat with Russia and result in World War III.
The rejection is understandable, especially after Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if anyone interferes in his slaughterhouse. He was even more specific Saturday, saying any country participating in a no-fly zone was participating in the war itself.
But the compelling logic of the White House and NATO in trying to avoid direct conflict with Russia underscores the predicament. If they won’t do a no-fly zone, what will they do to stop the massacre?
“Nothing” is not an acceptable answer politically, so President Biden and his European counterparts keep piling on more sanctions and holding more meetings with each other to make it look as if they’re doing more than they actually are.
Basement Biden is impotent.. For all the outlandish claims here that Basement Biden is a "million percent better" :^/ the FACTS clearly show that no only is Basement Biden impotent in the face of Putin's aggression, Biden is actually HELPING Putin by giving Putin a BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH to help fund Putin's war...
"These are the facts of the case. And they are undisputed.."
-Captain Smilin' Jack Ross, A FEW GOOD MEN
Finally, the president entered this showdown with the disaster of Afghanistan hanging over him. He was determined to get all troops out and refused to heed the military’s warning that his plan was reckless and would result in a Taliban takeover.
He did it his way, and 13 service members lost their lives in a suicide blast that seriously wounded scores of others. The military equipment left behind made the Taliban one of the most lethal armies in the region and filled their coffers as they sold the excess on the black market. And, despite his promises, Biden left behind thousands of loyal allies.
It’s not a coincidence that Putin made his move against Ukraine soon after the Afghanistan debacle. If he succeeds, Biden’s record on the world stage will be 0-2, and there won’t be any doubts about who lost Ukraine.
The facts are clear... The ENTIRE responsibility for this whole Ukraine disaster can be laid at the feet of Basement Biden and the Democrats..
This is undeniable FACT...
Think about Afghanistan and tell me again how Basement Biden is a "million percent better"... :^/
Go ahead.. I double-dog dare you...
Cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline alone axed some 830,000 barrels of Canadian crude flowing to Gulf refineries while the U.S. simultaneously doubled imports of Russian oil. Last year, the U.S. welcomed an average of more than 600,000 barrels of Russian crude and related petroleum products daily, financing the Kremlin war machine. As the world’s third-largest oil producer providing more than 10 percent of global supply, Russia raked in $119 billion in resource revenues.
Biden is reluctant to sanction President Vladimir Putin’s energy sector, with the White House claiming the solution to rising prices is to pivot in favor of cleaner energy sources that are often unreliable and more expensive. Russian gas operations, meanwhile, produce 30 percent more methane than American operators. Iran, where the administration is hoping to lift sanctions and welcome its oil, hosts operations with 85 percent more intense methane emissions than their U.S. counterparts.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/03/07/jen-psaki-is-a-lying-liar-who-lies-insane-gas-prices-edition/
The facts are clear..
Basement Biden and the Democrats are funding Putin's Ukraine War..
First by allowing Putin to sell oil..
Second by actually BUYING the oil that Putin is allowed to sell...
Now matter how ya'all want to spin this..
It's Basement Biden and the Democrats who have full responsibility for this mess..
None of this would have EVER happened under President Trump...
In all this gloom and doom, there is some good news..
Just when you thought Democrats couldn't dig themselves into a DEEPER hole for November.. :D
Gas prices fueling coming Democratic bloodbath in midterms, Republicans say
Rep. Morgan Griffith tells Fox News Digital that 'inflation works against the party in control of Washington'
President Biden and congressional Democrats who have championed green energy policies while calling to shift away from domestic oil drilling are facing an uphill battle ahead of the midterm elections, as gas prices continue to climb from near-record highs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
During his State of the Union address last week, Biden announced that the U.S. is releasing 30 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to protect consumers from the rising prices during the Russia-Ukraine war, but prices have kept rising. The national average has crested over $4 and set an all-time record on Monday.
Republicans argue that Biden has given Putin leverage by continuing Russian oil purchases while canceling the Keystone XL pipeline and freezing new oil and gas leases on federal lands. They accuse him of funding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine by refusing to sanction Russia’s oil and gas sector.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gas-prices-democratic-bloodbath-midterms-republicans
Democrats dig themselves into a DEEPER hole for November.. :D
And ta think.. racist cad STILL believes that Democrats will do OK in the midterms..
BBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Gee, Michale, next thing you know you'll be addressing me as a racist. ;)
Or, have you already done that?
Gee, Michale, next thing you know you'll be addressing me as a racist.
According to the Democrats you ARE a racist..
Don't blame me.. It's Democrats who say it..
Or, have you already done that?
*I* haven't.. Democrats have...
So, here's the question you have to answer..
Do you believe in Democrat agenda and ideology??
If you do, then according to that agenda and ideology, you are a racist..
Because Democrats believe that, if you are silent in the face of racism, then you are a racist...
Now, if you want to claim Democrats are full of shit... Then do so...
But this failure to condemn racist cad's racist comments because you agree with racist cad politically is bullshit..
Call a spade a spade...
Or else quit pretending that you have ANY semblance of moral or ethical standing...
Contrary to Weigantian™ claims that Basement Biden is "a million percent better" than President Trump...
How Biden Got Ukraine and Russia Wrong
The Biden administration made critical errors in the preceding crisis, and it is altogether uncertain if the invasion could have been prevented. But what is clear is that diplomacy, untethered from the shadow of hard power, failed.
The cries of disbelief from many in the Western foreign policy intelligentsia which met the Russian armored columns pouring into Ukraine were intense if unsurprising. While the latest act in the tragedy of great power politics is certainly devastating, the wailing and gnashing of teeth in Washington and the capitals of Europe would be comical if they were not so pathetic. Some lamented that history appeared to be returning after its hiatus, but in fact, it never left. Those who profess to analyze international affairs, and certainly those who lead nation-states, would do well to dwell in reality vice an aspirational world. Western leaders sleepwalked into this crisis. Their strategy was premised on flawed theoretical assumptions, and its failure carries important implications for U.S. policy going forward.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-biden-got-ukraine-and-russia-wrong-200960
Compare and contrast the fact that President Trump kept Putin CONTAINED... Putin was AFRAID of President Trump.. A fear that is NOT present when Putin deals with lame incompetent Democrats..
Exhibit A is Odumbo...
Exhibit B is Basement Biden...
President Trump is the one who is a MILLION PERCENT better in handling Foreign Policy...
One only has to look and Basement Biden thru the lens of Afghanistan and Ukraine to know that THAT is factually accurate...
Recent presidential administrations’ feckless and effete foreign policy—especially the inexplicable insistence on “resetting” relations with Russia—meets the clinical definition of insanity. The idea that the world has somehow progressed beyond the utility of force in international politics is itself nothing new, but the worldview Kerry and others demonstrate in the wake of Russia’s aggression is underwritten by a widely held international relations theory: neoliberal institutionalism.
The over-reliance on any single parsimonious theory of international relations is myopic and irresponsible for anyone other than pure academics. However, neoliberal institutionalism is especially pernicious to policymakers because it does not recognize that conflict inheres to human nature, underemphasizes power and security as drivers of state behavior, and overemphasizes the role of international organizations and the cooperative prospects of geopolitics. The fact that a nominally-democratic, veto-wielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council held its rotating presidency at the time of its premeditated invasion of another democracy is farcical and is proof positive that neoliberal institutionalism is an aspirational fantasy rather than a serious worldview.
As usual, it's Basement Biden and the Democrats who are NON SERIOUS about dealing with real world issues..
Despite the abject failure of its Diplomacy First strategy, the State Department spokesman had the audacity to assert the United States would continue to solicit Russian cooperation on issues of mutual interest, including Iran nuclear negotiations, climate change, and Arctic issues. This is delusional.
Not to be outdone, Kerry gave a shambolic interview, aired the evening Russian forces poured across Ukraine’s borders. He decried the distraction from climate change and excoriated the emissions effects that a Russo-Ukrainian War would have. Though admittedly the interview was pre-recorded, that a core member of the Obama-Biden foreign policy blob’s attention was not on the consequences of Russia’s territorial revanchism (against a democracy at that, supposedly the foundation of this administration’s foreign policy) is indicative of the globalist dementia that pervades too many in the Washington establishment. Their wrongheaded convictions that the future will be characterized by transnational cooperation around their preferred crises are ignorant at best and treacherous at worst.
Democrats are living in a dream world..
The FACTS that prove this are as abundant as they are conclusive...
The fact that ya'all remain silent in the face of these facts is further proof of their validity...
Silence Gives Assent
-The Democrat Party
To be clear, the Biden administration made the correct decision by not sending conventional American forces to Ukraine. The United States maintains no formal alliance with Ukraine, and it is ultimately not America’s responsibility to defend the sovereignty of every other state. Importantly, a more competent foreign policy team may have deterred Russian aggression without the actual use of military force. Sadly, the core irony of the neoliberal cabal helming American statecraft is that publicly ruling out the use of American hard power at the outset paradoxically made diplomatic failure a certainty.
I disagree...
Putin knows he is no match for the combined might of NATO...
Even as bad as NATO has been weakened by Basement Biden and the Democrats, down for it's earlier strength under President Trump, NATO will still prevail in a conventional war with Putin's Russia..
By putting US Forces in Ukraine, Basement Biden could have prevented the ENTIRE Ukraine war..
But, as we have seen in Afghanistant, Basement Biden is a complete and utter moron...
I&I/TIPP Poll: 56% Blame Biden's Afghan Debacle For Ukraine Invasion, Fear Putin Will Use Nukes
Surprisingly, 56% believe Putin will use nuclear weapons.
Americans are deeply unsettled by Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade neighboring Ukraine, a just-released I&I/TIPP Poll shows. The March public opinion survey shows Americans fear a widening of the conflict could lead to the involvement of U.S. troops and even the use of nuclear weapons by Putin's Russia.
President Joe Biden's White House and its supporters in Congress are telling a story of America boldly stepping up to lead Europe in its response to the threat of an aggressive Russia. It's been repeated by some in the mainstream media.
But a solid majority of Americans are focused on something very different: They worry that a desperate Putin might resort to nuclear weapons.
Those responding to the poll who were following the Russia-Ukraine situation were asked the following: "(Russian) President Putin has placed his nuclear weapons on high alert. How likely do you think he will use nuclear weapons in the current conflict?"
The answer: A shocking 56% said it was "likely," with 21% saying it was "very likely and 35% saying "somewhat likely." Just 31% said it was "not likely."
https://tippinsights.com/i-i-tipp-poll-56-blame-bidens-afghan-debacle-for-ukraine-invasion-fear-putin-will-use-nukes/
Leave it to the Democrat Party to be the Party that starts WWIII... :^/
Basement Biden's complete incompetence in Afghanistan gave Putin the green light to move on Ukraine...
Basement Biden's complete and utter incompetence in Afghanistan and Ukraine..
Will give Xi the green light to move on Taiwan...
You people really did in great job in voting Basement Biden into office.. :^\
Respondents who followed the Russia-Ukraine situation were also asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: "The disorderly withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan emboldened Russia to invade Ukraine."
The response shows the White House has an uphill battle in its public relations campaign: 56% said they either agree "strongly" (30%) or "somewhat" (26%) that the botched departure from Afghanistan encouraged Putin to move against Ukraine. Only 32% disagreed with that statement.
Remind me again how Basement Biden is a "MILLION PERCENT BETTER" than President Trump??
I seem to have forgotten what with all the FACTS that prove otherwise.. :^\
Meanwhile, 78% of those who were following the Russia-Ukraine situation agreed "the situation in Ukraine will develop into a larger regional conflict that could lead to the U.S. military getting involved." Only 14% said they disagreed with that statement, while 9% were "unsure."
Strikingly, there was largely bipartisan agreement on this, with more than 70% of Democrats, Republicans, and independents agreeing.
Even DEMOCRATS agree..
Basement Biden royally frak'ed up...
The FACTS are clear..
And, since no one here refutes the facts???
"Silence Gives Assent"
-The Democrat Party
:D
Are Americans unnecessarily fearful, perhaps not understanding the situation? Hardly.
We also asked them how closely they were following news about the situation in Ukraine right now: 73% said they were following "closely," while just 24% said they weren't. Only 3% said they weren't sure.
So people know what's going on, for the most part. And again, it isn't just one group paying attention. It's tripartisan.
And Americans are actually very knowledgeable about the situation in Ukraine...
So, the are high information voters. And they know how badly Basement Biden and the Democrats frak'ed up...
So Americans are unusually focused on this story, seeing Russia's invasion of a sovereign neighbor as a clear danger to our national security and world peace.
But, as the data show, they also see the linkage between the invasion of Ukraine and Biden's debacle in Afghanistan. The U.S. abandoned its allies in that nation to the murderous Taliban, while leaving thousands of Americans and U.S. visa holders stranded, along with some $80 billion in U.S. military equipment.
There is simply NO DOUBT that Basement Biden's complete and utter failure in Afghanistan told Putin he could attack Ukraine and the US would be powerless to stop him...
Odumbo's failure to protect Odessa in 2014 gave Putin further evidence to support that..
Funny how it's always Democrats who are in charge when Putin gets froggy....
@russ,
Love you too! Funny that FIB’r did not even try to defend Trump. “Trump is comfortable in his own skin…”. Hell, Trump wears his make-up like a $3 hooker that’s blind and epileptic!
So, what you are saying, rush.. Is that my silence on the issue is assent??
BBBBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Once again, russ proves that the Democrat way is that SILENCE GIVES ASSENT..
Jeezus, rush.. You really walked into THAT one, eh??
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
Truth be told, I missed your comments in the midst of all the facts that were posted..
But I don't NEED to defend President Trump..
His successes as POTUS are well documented.. As are Basement Biden's complete and utter FAILURES...
Continuous and on-going failures..
We know this to be factually accurate..
How do we KNOW this to be factually accurate??
Because, as you yourself just stated..
SILENCE GIVES ASSENT :D
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
:D
Speaking of Basement Biden's complete and utter incompetence....
Biden’s pro-police talk doesn’t change his anti-cop walk
“We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to fund the police,” President Joe Biden postured in his State of the Union speech. But that gesture to the polling doesn’t change the fact that he’s been walking a very different walk.
Biden’s administration has repeatedly targeted police departments and promulgated the woke, anti-cop narrative. His Justice Department, notably, revived the Obama-era practice of probing police departments for their racially disparate stop and arrest data — never mind that such simply reflects the unfortunate truth that minorities commit a disproportionate number of crimes.
https://nypost.com/2022/03/06/bidens-pro-police-talk-doesnt-change-his-anti-cop-walk/
The Democrat Party is the Cop Hate Party.. This is established as FACT...
And Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in September that Justice would be monitoring police departments even more, going beyond federal “pattern or practice” investigations and the resulting consent decrees that hamstring cops. That reverses then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ 2018 memo greatly narrowing the use of consent decrees.
And Biden spent months spewing anti-police bull during the 2020 campaign, slamming the supposed “systemic injustice” of the country’s law enforcement and talking of how “every day, African Americans go about their lives with a constant anxiety and trauma,” wondering who’ll be the next victim of “bad police.”
He was playing to a national trend that’s driven up police retirements and resignations. Ambush attacks against cops were also up 91% last year, with 73 officers killed in the line of duty — the most since 1995. Police departments struggle to find recruits, and some have even stopped responding to low-level crimes due to lack of staff.
Democrats hate cops.. This is a fact...
You simply cannot be a Democrat and support LEOs....
How do we know this to be factual??
Because no one here refutes the claim...
Silence Gives Assent
-russ
So, after giving Putin over hundred BILLION dollars to fund Putin's war in Ukraine..??
Biden to announce ban on US imports of Russian oil: source
Biden is set to make remarks from the White House on Tuesday morning
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-russian-oil-import-ban
Basement Biden FINALLY steps up and does what should have been done from day one..
Basement Biden.. A day late and STILL a moron...
Michale
Re "The military's warning that withdrawal would result in instant Taliban takeover".
Mark Steyn had warned for 15 yrs that "Five minutes after we leafe Afghanisstan, it will be as if we were never there!" He was absolutel right!
CRS,
Mark Steyn had warned for 15 yrs that "Five minutes after we leafe Afghanisstan, it will be as if we were never there!" He was absolutel right!
Yes he was right.. But it didn't have to be that way...
President Trump had a good plan.. A plan that kept the Taliban in check and pummeled them mercilessly when they got froggy....
If Basement Biden had followed President Trump's plan, the withdrawal would have been orderly and without loss of life..
Basement Biden's biggest mistake was giving up Bagram and not getting our people and equipment out BEFORE withdrawing..
Sure, the Taliban would have likely still taken Afghanistan.. But they would have done so without the huge loss of life to Americans and allies..
Further, Basement Biden totally threw our NATO allies under the bus.. If Basement Biden had co-ordinated the withdrawal with our NATO allies it would have been even a SMOOTHER retreat..
There is simply NO WAY to put enough lipstick on Basement Biden's pig of a withdrawal to make it look anything than what it was..
A HUGE cluster-frak that epitomizes the complete and utter incompetence of Basement Biden and Democrats..
Basement Biden voters have BUCKETS and BUCKETS of American blood on their hands..
Even water carrier extraordinaire CNN is conceding how badly frak'ed Democrats are in November
Why independents have cooled on Biden -- and what that means for Democrats
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/politics/biden-polling-independents/index.html
And racist cad STILL believes that Democrats are going to do fine in November...
BBBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNYEw4gf9ho
Watch Basement Biden's and the Democrat's humiliation live and in color...
Since the subject matter is right up the alley of my expertise, I actually read the Weigantian™ administrations commentary today...
It pains me to say it, but Rubio is entirely correct. That is precisely what it would mean.
Here's the thing..
Putin has stated categorically that ANY action the US or NATO allies take would be viewed as an act of war against Russia..
Nothing is stopping Putin from viewing Basement Biden's soon to be announced and better late than never oil embargo in the same manner Putin could view a no-fly zone..
So, it doesn't really matter what the actual REALITY is..
Putin is going to do what Putin is going to do..
Since this is obvious to ANYONE with more than 2 brain cells to rub together, why not act to save lives??
*ANY* action the US takes could spark WWIII....
So, either go all in to save lives or just run and hide in your basement.. The latter, of course, being the action that Basement Biden excels at.. :^\
"If we are to be damned, let us be damned for who we really are.."
-Captain Jean Luc Picard
Basement Biden and the Democrats are being damned as America hating cowards who would LOVE to see America fall..
THAT is who Basement Biden and the Democrats really are..
CNN’s New Boss Signals for Truce With Fox News
In this week’s Source Material, we reveal massive changes coming to CNN, the way Twitter quietly changed its rules during wartime, and the drama at ABC News and G/O Media.
The increasingly brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine has continued to dominate the media landscape, with networks shifting nearly all of their focus to the crisis and its international ramifications.
ADVERTISEMENT
The biggest media news over the weekend was the rush among U.S. outlets to remove their reporters from Russia as the Putin regime began criminalizing the mere act of reporting on his war. Elsewhere, an explosive feud (which The Daily Beast first reported last year) between New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman and her former colleague Taylor Lorenz, now with The Washington Post, spilled out into the public, kickstarting a tedious, industry-wide debate over “influencer journalism.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnns-new-boss-signals-for-truce-with-fox-news
"Influencer Journalism" is just another word for activist..
Activism is anti-thesis to journalism...
Activists are what failed journalists become..
New CNN honcho Chris Licht doesn’t actually start until May, but ever the savvy “operator” he has already begun backchanneling with key figures, including agents and reporters, and, according to two insiders familiar with the matter, making it known to Fox News that he is working towards a cease-fire on his network’s aggressive coverage of them. On Sunday, there were notably no mentions of Fox News on CNN’s marquee media show, Reliable Sources, hosted by Brian Stelter, who last year penned a New York Times Best Seller titled Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth. In recent years, CNN has become known for its forceful coverage of Fox News and its partisan talking heads who’ve played enormous roles in influencing former President Donald Trump and the right-wing media ecosystem that supports him. In turn, Fox News has returned the favor, often attacking CNN stars—sometimes with potshots about their physical appearances.
Looks like CNN is going pro President Trump.. :D
They see the writing on the wall.. CNN knows that President Trump will be back in the Oval Office in 2025... :D
A perfect case in point as to what I was talking about above..
U.S. working with Poland on deal to send fighter jets to Ukraine
The war for control of Ukraine will be waged in the air, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told U.S. lawmakers Saturday, and therefore, he implored them to give him planes to keep Russia at bay. The U.S. is urging Poland and other Eastern European countries to give their Russian-made fighter jets to Ukraine and is working on a plan to backfill the planes they give up with U.S.F-16s.
One advantage of the Russian planes is that Ukrainian pilots are already trained to fly them.
The other reason is that these planes can be deployed far more quickly. One U.S. official said the administration has told Poland it should make Russian-made MiGs in its arsenal available because these planes would not require U.S. permission to be transferred. Conversely, any effort to send newly manufactured planes to Ukraine could be hampered by several years' worth of paperwork with defense contractors. Further, the transfer of American-made F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies would require congressional notification. Because Ukrainian pilots are not trained on American planes, the fighter jets would not be immediately helpful to them, even if they were able to obtain them sooner.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fighter-jets-ukraine-poland-deal/
When it comes to war provocations, there is really no difference from Putin's perspective, between having a NATO nation give fighters to Ukraine and NATO pilots actually piloting those fighters enforcing a no-fly zone...
Putin will use ANY pretext...
So, this crap about opposing a no-fly zone is just a weak justification for having NO BALLS...
Compare and contrast the fact that President Trump kept Putin CONTAINED.
Cue laugh track.
The correct word is APPEASED. Putin was getting everything he wanted from the trump administration without firing a shot.
NATO is not proposing to implement a true No Fly Zone….NATO is proposing to increase the ticket price Russia must pay for each sortie. The USSR did pretty much the same to the US during the Vietnam War. USSR supplied AAA, radar, SAMs and some MiGs to make the US air campaign very costly. The US decided to accept the risk. The United States had plenty of nukes and did not respond to Soviet intervention by using a single one.
Rubio is performing a calculated case of “the vapors” for purely partisan purposes. The Republicans are effectively hitching their success on helping Putin extract his booty from a vice.
The correct word is APPEASED. Putin was getting everything he wanted from the trump administration without firing a shot.
"And, of course, you can PROVE that, right??? Oh yea, that's right.. I forgot.. You were absent the day the taught LAW at Law School."
-Tom Cruise, A FEW GOOD MEN
The **ONLY** thing you have that backs up your claim is Trump/America hate and bigotry...
There are ZERO facts to prove your claim whatsoever..
On the OTHER hand, we have PLENTY of facts that PROVE Democrat incompetence gave Putin the green light..
ODUMBO... BASEMENT BIDEN...
Even Democrat Left Wing rags are complaining that Democrats are "DELUSIONAL" when it comes to President Trump..
That's a DIRECT quote... :D
Face the facts... You are simply wrong here..
OK Let's forget ALL politics for a second..
Q IS BACK!!!!!!!
:D
Elizabeth Miller
10
EM, first things first, I want a hint on the cat/pie thing you're planning for Sunday.
War or no war, Ukraine will never qualify for membership in NATO.
Oh, really?
FUN FACT: In 2008, NATO heads of government publicly declared that Ukraine and Georgia "will become members of NATO." Of course, they didn't say when.
Elizabeth Miller
11
But, that still would still the former Ukraine, a pretty large piece of real estate, between Moscow and the West. So, Putin wins, either way.
Could Putin ever retain the whole of Ukraine on a long-term basis?
Not bloody likely.
Putin miscalculated, having surrounded himself with "yes" men and fallen for the constant echo of his own propaganda that the people of Ukraine would see him as their liberator in the same manner some Ukrainian independence fighters in WWII aligned themselves with their Nazi occupiers (whom they viewed as liberators from the USSR). So Putin refers to Ukraine's leadership as Nazis and himself as their "liberator" because he's bought into his own imperialist bullshit... mentally mired in the 20th century.
Elizabeth Miller
12
Okay, then , stop aspiring. :)
I see your point, EM, but we Americans believe that people the world over have a right to enjoy democracy and achieve freedom from brutal dictators.
Elizabeth Miller
13
Putin's war in Ukraine won't end well for anyone if the US and all of its allies can't bring themselves to negotiate a way out of this global mess.
Some people cannot be negotiated with. Authoritarian/totalitarian leaders are like that. Dictator attempts to rewrite his legacy; it almost never ends well.
I ain't holding my breath.
Good thinking.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FNWwyRpX0AIgVuk?format=jpg&name=small
This is why Democrats are so pathetic and disgusting.. :^/
Elizabeth Miller
14
It's really funny how everyone tries to tell me what I should and shouldn't focus on.
I wasn't trying to do that. I was hoping you wouldn't limit your focus to Ukraine... saying don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. Okay, maybe I was. It's not as simple as an agreement that Ukraine will never join NATO. Putin's primary concern is democracy entering Russia, which he cannot stop it, really, only slow it down.
WTF!
Who are you, and what have you done with Miss Elizabeth? You know what this reminds me of? I'll show you:
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2020/08/07/friday-talking-points-it-is-what-it-is/#comment-167180
^^^^^ That post of yours! :) ^^^^^
Elizabeth Miller
15
By the way, that's WTF for Win the Future. Ahem. And, my handle for Poker Stars, before I left as the new and improved version didn't meet with my approval. :)
Everybody's a critic. ;)
MtnCaddy
16|17|18|19
Nice weed.
The world and everyone in it besides the combatants are in better shape today than pre invasion.
"Everyone"? That really is some nice weed.
Putin has already lost this war.
It's only a matter of time. He can't live forever, can he? *shakes head*
G'Nite, all.
:)
nypoet22
20
Heh. GMTA.
nypoet22
60
The correct word is APPEASED. Putin was getting everything he wanted from the trump administration without firing a shot.
Remember that time Trump thanked Putin for expelling 755 diplomats of the United States?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdA0MwjuNs
Pathetic.
Kick,
I generally choose my words wisely. ;)
Kick,
Some people cannot be negotiated with.
The US and its allies didn't try very hard. Because, they said they didn't know what Putin wanted. Ha!
Of course, the West and the US don't seem to know the definition of such basis things as 'imminent' and invasion. either, so ...
I see your point, EM, but we Americans believe that people the world over have a right to enjoy democracy and achieve freedom from brutal dictators.
Only if they deserve it and work hard to achieve it.
And, if they recognize what is the reality on the ground and stop blaming the very organization they wish to join for killing its people. Which they never will. Not in any of our lifetimes, anyways. ;)
Again, the thing that will bring this war to an end is precisely what would have prevented it in the first place. Hello?
Elizabeth Miller
75
I generally choose my words wisely. ;)
"Generally" is a good choice of words there. ;)
Kick,
So Putin refers to Ukraine's leadership as Nazis and himself as their "liberator" because he's bought into his own imperialist bullshit... mentally mired in the 20th century.
Yes, Putin is capable of hyper-hyperbole.
But, far-right extremists with white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideology have officially integrated into agencies of the Ukrainian government over the last decade, including the military, national guard and law enforcement.
It's one of the plethora of reasons why Ukraine will never realize its aspirations to NATO membership.
Christopher Weigant
BACK on Day 1 of the invasion you went all in on "worst-case scenario,"
Russia is redrawing the geopolitical lines in Eastern Europe and the rest of the world is going to have to adjust to the new reality. This is all very grim to contemplate, obviously. We are going back in time to the 20th century, when wars of aggression were a reality that killed untold millions. So it behooves us to look ahead to what this new order will mean, especially what it will mean militarily.
Your certainty is forgivable, because on paper it was no contest, right?
BUT wars are not fought on paper.
A week later you wrote,
It is hard to admit, but the world should really not get its hopes up too high for any sort of outcome in Ukraine other than the one Vladimir Putin initially set out to achieve. Putin wants to completely subdue and occupy Ukraine, which he sees as nothing more than a part of Russia. He will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. And although not inevitable, the most likely outcome by far is that Russia will completely crush the Ukrainian military and eventually conquer every city in the entire country.
But that's not what was happening on the ground, now was it? I mean the completely crush the Ukraine military part. The front lines hadn't moved much because,
FIGHTING the Rooskies for eight years now made Ukraine way stronger.
TRUST ME anyone with any Ukrainian blood in them knows that When there's two Ukrainians in the room there's at least THREE opinions. SO even ethnic Russians in Ukraine opposing the invasion is amazing. Civilians are waiting in line for hours to get an AK and go kill Russians.
THIS MATTERS because even on the 21st century battlefield the will to fight is decisive. We've got rabid Ukrainians versus conscripts, step right up and place her bets!
FYI Russian soldiers are being offered asylum and roughly $50,000USD if they surrender. Imagine that, removing an enemy combatant without having to kill him!
THAT'S WHAT most of planet earth (like, who even cares about the fucking Chinese?) can get behind, and why they're happily taking this gift opportunity to not only pay Vlad back for his shitty behavior but maybe even effect regime change, just by keeping the screws tightened. You don't think our intelligence guys aren't already in country?
Here's a concise summary of the state of affairs:
This from a scary sounding POLITICO article, ‘Putin is angry’: U.S. intel heads warn Russia could ‘double down’ in Ukraine,
According to [CIA director]
Burns, Putin launched his invasion on the basis of “a number of assumptions”: He considered Ukraine to be “weak and easily intimidated.” He assessed Europeans to be “risk averse” and “distracted by elections in France and leadership succession in Germany.” He believed he had “sanctions-proofed his economy” by “creating a large war chest of foreign currency reserves.” And he was confident he had “modernized his military” to achieve “a quick, decisive victory at minimal cost.”
Ultimately, “he’s been proven wrong on every count,” Burns said. “Those assumptions have proven to be profoundly flawed over the last 12 days of conflict."
Furthermore...
"Generally" is a good choice of words there. ;)
Naturally.
My strong advice (that means you, too, Miss Canada!) is that anytime Putin talks mean,
1- take a deep breath.
2- refrain from soiling yourself cuz that what Vlad wants you to do.
Caddy,
That advice doesn't apply to me and you should know better.
Ahem.
There are three power centers in Russia that are getting squeezed big time -- the people, the military and the oligarchs.
When Putin loses two of them he's toast. There's a way better chance that Ukraine survives than does Putin. He fucked up that badly.
There may be, ah, four. Heh.
[80]
But, far-right extremists with white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideology have officially integrated into agencies of the Ukrainian government over the last decade, including the military, national guard and law enforcement.
It's one of the plethora of reasons why Ukraine will never realize its aspirations to NATO membership.
For the record, this Ukrainian nazi right-wing stuff goes back to WW2
Right ... but has it always been so well integrated into official Ukraine?
...if not before. There's nazis all over the planet so that's no disqualification for NATO.
Corruption and rule of law issues are the biggest obstacles.
It actually is, even on its own, if it is so intricately entwined within the power structure of a country.
Joshua,
World war 3 or not, Putin's actions toward Ukraine are evil. If we don't stand up to him now, it's not as if he'll stop the invasions at Ukraine, or Poland, or Lithuania.
Having US pilots shoot down Russian jets won't be good for anybody on the planet.
Besides, there is a deal in the works that could end this thing... if saner minds prevail.
And, Russia's demands don't seem unreasonable to me, especially considering the lives that would be saved if they are met.
The best thing we can do to put Putin in his place would be for the US, Canada, NATO, EU, AU, China and everyone else to get real serious about mitigating climate change, real fast.
New column up!
Israeli PM offers rare, uncertain diplomatic channel for Putin, Zelenskyy
Sheeeeeee-it!
New column up! :)
Read it, then it buggered off.
No matter.
This is another proxy war, CW. No one mentions supersonic weapons because A) The Russians can't suffer one being shot down, B) the US perhaps can't shoot them down.
Fe was spot on, Putin has no other agenda than to push and push, he's got all the time in the world, thanks to American disunity.
Thank the erstwhile cunts within for that, the likes of Trump will pay with their heads for their dilution of democracy. Mark my words.
A brief understanding is in order. Putin is the worst of all foes, he can't be undone from outside. Stop the fiddling, Rome's ashes.
Putin's an fucking idealogue, he will not stop, he might stay, but he will never stop.
We are agreed. The longer Putin's army of conscripts suffer setbacks, the more eager he will be to define Dante's hell.
China...We could use your help. Russia is your bitch, remind her of her place in the big picture. The US will nuke us all before it thinks twice.
Pass it on.
LL&P