What Is The Holdup With The MiGs?
I must admit that while I am usually open to considering nuanced diplomatic (or military) reasons why something which seems obvious simply cannot be done, for the life of me I cannot comprehend why the MiGs Poland is offering aren't already being flown by Ukrainian pilots over the skies of Kyiv. Because in this case any diplomatic or military concerns are contradicted by what Poland and the rest of NATO are already openly doing, as well as what the United States secretary of State publicly stated last weekend.
The idea was a fairly simple one to comprehend. It isn't a small idea and it is complex, but it was still pretty easy to understand. Poland has aging MiG-29 fighter jets in its air force, leftovers from the Soviet era. Ukrainian military pilots already know how to fly them, so there would be no learning curve for them. Poland wants to donate these planes to Ukraine. To fill the void in their air fleet, Poland is asking for American-made F-16s (not new ones, they'll take older used ones, even) to replace them. Poland gets an upgrade to their air force, Ukraine gets fighter jets it desperately needs, and the U.S. and the rest of NATO shift some planes around so that the Polish forces aren't temporarily depleted in a crucially-important time and place. How the permanent replacement planes would ultimately be paid for and where they'd come from seem to be rather minor details in the grand scheme of things. After all, Ukraine needs these planes now.
If the United States were to approve this shuffling of airplanes, then the obvious solution would be for Ukrainian military pilots to travel to Poland and just fly the planes back home, with freshly-painted Ukrainian flags and insignia on them. To avoid a NATO base being used to launch any sort of offensive attack, the planes would (for diplomatic and military reasons) ideally touch down on Ukrainian soil before entering the fight with the Russians. The Russians do not completely control the skies over Ukraine; there is an ongoing battle for superiority -- which is why Ukraine is desperately begging for more planes in the first place. Sure, it's a war and it'd be risky (obviously, they could get shot down), but that risk assessment is for the Ukrainians to make.
Poland doesn't seem too keen on this obvious answer. So they blindsided everyone by ignoring the usual diplomatic and military channels and instead putting out a public statement that they were prepared to fly all the MiGs to a U.S. airfield in Germany. The Ukrainian pilots would have to pick them up there and fly them back home. Which makes no logistical sense, since Germany is in the opposite direction.
But as you can see, this would shift the risks involved (one of those planes engaging a Russian plane or ground forces while flying into Ukraine) from Poland to the U.S. Which is assumably why President Biden and the Pentagon have so far balked at the idea.
But when you look closer at what is already happening, it's impossible to figure out why this is such an intractable problem. Because Russia already has enough provocation to attack NATO, should it wish to (and these days, nothing seems to be off the table for Putin, so who knows?).
Here was a story which ran three days ago in the New York Times, by way of explanation:
On a snowy tarmac at Amari Air Base in northern Estonia on Sunday morning, pallets of rifles, ammunition and other weapons were being loaded onto one of the largest cargo planes in the world, an Antonov AN-124, belonging to the Ukrainian air force. It is an artifact of the Cold War, built and purchased when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union.
Now it is being turned back against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, part of a vast airlift that American and European officials describe as a desperate race against time, to get tons of arms into the hands of Ukrainian forces while their supply routes are still open. Scenes like this, reminiscent of the Berlin airlift -- the famed race by the Western allies to keep West Berlin supplied with essentials in 1948 and 1949 as the Soviet Union sought to choke it off -- are playing out across Europe.
In less than a week, the United States and NATO have pushed more than 17,000 antitank weapons, including Javelin missiles, over the borders of Poland and Romania, unloading them from giant military cargo planes so they can make the trip by land to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and other major cities. So far, Russian forces have been so preoccupied in other parts of the country that they have not targeted the arms supply lines, but few think that can last.
The United States issued no strongly-worded diplomatic denials after this story appeared. Neither has Poland, Romania, or Estonia. If it is supposed to be secret that we are actively arming the Ukrainians, it is the most open secret imaginable. None of these countries can plausibly make an argument for neutrality, at this point. We are supplying Ukraine with shoulder-fired missiles which have been used to shoot down Russian planes, plain and simple. And we are continuing to do so, via land routes -- and Polish airbases, by the way (used as transfer points).
How is this diplomatically or militarily different than allowing Ukrainian pilots to fly airplanes to Ukrainian air bases? MiG-29s from Poland would be intended to be used to shoot down Russian planes -- just like the missiles we're giving them. The weapons would be moving between the same two countries as the missiles are. So what is different?
The fear -- obviously -- is that this would be some sort of provocation to Vladimir Putin, who could claim that Polish (or U.S.) bases were "flying attack missions" against its forces, and therefore Poland (or the U.S. and Germany combined) thus should be treated as warring nations in the fight. But Putin can already claim that anyway any time he wishes -- all he has to do is point to the missiles being supplied and the supply routes being used.
The United States has even publicly urged Poland to send the planes. Last Sunday on the CBS show Face The Nation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to a question about how the U.S. would feel about Poland giving the planes to the Ukrainians by answering: "That gets a green light." That's pretty unequivocal. As long as the risk is borne by the Polish, it seems.
Yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby tweeted out the following:
The prospect of fighter jets "at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America" departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance.
This simply does not square with what Blinken said a few days earlier. Because all countries in NATO are theoretically equal. So any "serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance" would be just as serious if the planes left from Polish bases rather than one of our own. There's a deeper layer to this as well -- an attack on any NATO country is an attack on all NATO countries. So it wouldn't matter to the alliance whether that meant an attack on U.S. forces or Polish ones to all the other countries -- since everyone in NATO is sworn to defend both of them against any attack, period.
The Polish MiGs could immediately be replaced by a few squadrons of F-16s (or any other fighters) from a country in NATO which happens to be further from the battlefield. When the logistics were worked out, permanent F-16 replacements could be sent to Poland and the visiting NATO pilots could fly home. That's the way the whole alliance is supposed to work, in fact.
Military planes are shuffled between sovereign countries all the time. And isn't what we're all standing up for here supposed to be the right of Ukraine to make such decisions for itself, without getting Russian permission? Their right to self-determination definitely includes deciding to accept a generous gift of fighter jets from another country. And since they'd be flown by Ukrainian pilots, even if any of them were to be shot down -- or shoot a Russian plane down -- it would still be between two countries' militaries that are already at war with each other. It wouldn't risk World War III in the way that a NATO-enforced "no-fly zone" would.
Both America and Poland are already openly aiding the Ukrainian military with advanced weapons designed for the purpose of shooting down enemy aircraft. Whether this means shoulder-fired missiles or jet fighters, it is diplomatically the same. We have already taken sides in this war. Putin needs no provocation at all should he wish to attack Poland, at this point. If he is insane enough to do so, then he probably will do so whether those planes ever get to Ukraine or not.
So what exactly is the holdup? I confess, while I am usually open to diplomatically-nuanced reasoning, in this case it just doesn't seem to plausibly exist. If we were really that worried about the prospect of a Russian counterattack, then why did Blinken give "a green light" to the plan in the first place? Why is that light suddenly red (or at least yellow)? This needs a resolution, and it needs to happen fast. The only plausible explanation for the delay is that the planes will be flown to Ukraine soon and we are just publicly waffling about it as a military distraction or cover-up so it can happen without Russia even noticing. That way we could announce that the planes are already in Ukraine after the fact. That would explain things, because it would be a lot better as a fait accompli rather than signalling to Russia that the planes are about to make such a flight, obviously.
In any case, those planes are needed now, not after some multilateral conference between NATO nations. If President Biden is already on board with the general concept then he needs to channel his inner Captain Picard and tell the Pentagon: "Make it so."
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Poland gets an upgrade to their air force, Ukraine gets fighter jets it desperately needs, and the U.S. and the rest of NATO shift some planes around so that the Polish forces aren't temporarily depleted in a crucially-important time and place. How the permanent replacement planes would ultimately be paid for and where they'd come from seem to be rather minor details in the grand scheme of things. After all, Ukraine needs these planes now.
Isn't this just kind of a crazy shell game? I mean, for all intents and purposes, it would be understood that the US was entering the war by proxy, no?
This would be an escalation at a time when a diplomatic off ramp is being devised.
Therefore, not a good idea.
Sure, it's a war and it'd be risky (obviously, they could get shot down), but that risk assessment is for the Ukrainians to make.
Thus far, Zelensky has demonstrated that he sucks at risk assessment. Which is why he's in this mess in the first place, so ...
doesn't seem too keen on this obvious answer. So they blindsided everyone by ignoring the usual diplomatic and military channels and instead putting out a public statement that they were prepared to fly all the MiGs to a U.S. airfield in Germany. The Ukrainian pilots would have to pick them up there and fly them back home. Which makes no logistical sense, since Germany is in the opposite direction.
Heh.
Hehehehehehehehehe ...
But as you can see, this would shift the risks involved (one of those planes engaging a Russian plane or ground forces while flying into Ukraine) from Poland to the U.S. Which is assumably why President Biden and the Pentagon have so far balked at the idea.
Yeah, balked is a good word for it. Heh.
Because Russia already has enough provocation to attack NATO, should it wish to (and these days, nothing seems to be off the table for Putin, so who knows?).
No, I'm guessing that would be a bridge too far for Putin.
Say, I hope they make a movie about this. Heh. Sorry. But, this IS hilarious.
Doesn't Ukraine have an air force? Ahem.
It has dawned on me that my hope for a negotiated way out of this mess is destined to be dashed as many of the participants don't appear to be smart enough for the job.
Which surprises me, especially with William Burns at CIA and Biden in the White House. Because, it would seem that this is just the crisis that these two guys would have prevented in their earlier lives but who now seem resigned to prolonging the misery.
Hope to be proved wrong.
But as you can see, this would shift the risks involved (one of those planes engaging a Russian plane or ground forces while flying into Ukraine) from Poland to the U.S. Which is assumably why President Biden and the Pentagon have so far balked at the idea.
K, it's amazing that at least YOU got over the inevitably of Russian Victory thang. Please inform Elizabeth that surrender isn't necessarily the right choice. And that the Ukrainian people don't agree with surrendering no matter what Miss Canada prefers.
Uh huh, Chris?
Not the slam dunk victory, after all?
My Gawd, you make us Libtards embarrassed and stuff...
As in, you merely regurgitated the Common Wisdom pre-invasion.
You failed to notice that reuters.com stopped printing maps of the "front lines" because they're not fucking moving much, now are they?
CW you failed to research your posts but hey, Elizabeth Miller did also likewise fail...
So, whaddup CW?
YOU allow trolls to pollute your blog. You act like you don't give a fuck. So why even have a comments section?
Here's the deal:
I'ma piling money into a REDCARD fund. I'll take photos of the cash from time to time.
When my money pile gets bigger than whatever your trolls contribute, you red card them and I hit MoneyGram, K?
And you're a bastard for making me adopt this plan.
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I mean, if you actually give a fuck. Shame on you if you don't, asshole.
MtnCaddy wrote:
So, whaddup CW?
YOU allow trolls to pollute your blog. You act like you don't give a fuck. So why even have a comments section?
MtnCaddy wrote:
So, whaddup CW?
YOU allow trolls to pollute your blog. You act like you don't give a fuck. So why even have a comments section?
Whiskey
Tango
Foxtrot?
MtnCaddy, are you okay?
Cho'mo poon gets to endlessly cut and paste?
MtnCaddy wrote:
So, whaddup CW?
YOU allow trolls to pollute your blog. You act like you don't give a fuck. So why even have a comments section?
Let me be crystal fucking clear, you fucking idiot Chris Weigant...
Keep fucking up your comments section and guess what? You ain't no damned use to the Cause.
In the remote event that CW gives a fuck...
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[1]
No shit. This happens when Rooskies invade other countries, no?
Elizabeth Miller wrote:
Sure, it's a war and it'd be risky (obviously, they could get shot down), but that risk assessment is for the Ukrainians to make.
Thus far, Zelensky has demonstrated that he sucks at risk assessment. Which is why he's in this mess in the first place, so ...
[ Permalink ] [ Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 at 19:07 ]
Elizabeth. My God are you even paying attention to Putin's lack of success on the ground?
[21] is very confusing. I suggest you do it over, using the proper tools. :)
It has dawned on me that my hope for a negotiated way out of this mess is destined to be dashed as many of the participants don't appear to be smart enough for the job.
Which surprises me, especially with William Burns at CIA and Biden in the White House. Because, it would seem that this is just the crisis that these two guys would have prevented in their earlier lives but who now seem resigned to prolonging the misery.
Hope to be proved wrong.
Okay, what part about it's not anyone's choice besides Ukraine do you still miss?
MtnCaddy, you are not making any sense.
What proper tools?
How are you not getting pain English from me?
What is not clear?
What is not clear is who said what.
Heh.
I know you know how to use them ... the tools, I mean. :)
the hell?
I know and I don't know what to blame it on. Sorry.
It was just an episode. I think it passed. If not, we may have to do something about it.
K, no worries my Dear Elizabeth.
For the record I restate that planet Earth would benefit from a far more massive dose of Canadian politeness,
MtnCaddy
Brother, are you OK? I do not know what prompted your attacks on CW, but your anger seems extreme and very misguided to the point it feels self-destructive. If this is just your attempt to get CW to respond, I would hope a direct email would better accomplish that goal if you haven’t already tried that. Breathe!
— Russ
I see that racist cad is stoned-posting again.. :^/
You see people.. THAT is your brain and your fingers on drugs..
DON'T DO ILLEGAL DRUGS!!
It's hilarious how racist cad continues to "ignore" me.. :D
Now he is attacking the Weigantian™ administration.. :D
It is to laugh... :D
@bashi,
Did you read your article? He is talking about you as much as the rest of us.
Of course I read the article.. Did you??
The fact that you think it's about me, is EXACTLY the problem that the author was putting forth...
Ya'all simply cannot see out of your own Trump/America hating tribe.. This is well documented..
You cannot even CONCEDE that ya'all are wrong about President Trump... This is also well-documented..
You want to criticize "our" tribe but seem ignorant to that fact you are far from independent but heavily dedicated to your own tribe. everything he says about NPR and the NYT is even more applicable to the Murdoch empire and Falun Gong publications both of which you are fond of posting.
Once again, you prove the author's point... You are EXACTLY who the author was talking about..
I get news from sources from ALL UP AND DOWN the political spectrum.. I LISTEN (IE read) what other people are saying regardless of if it fits my political views or not....
Ya'all make it a POINT to *BRAG* about how none of ya'all will read comments or articles that don't confirm ya'all's own biases and bigotries..
Ya'all BRAG about it!!
Ya'all are EXACTLY who this author was writing about..
IMO what he fails to realize is his "independent" sources will slowing morph into their own tribe with their own language of what gets posted and what is acceptable. Life changes. Don't get comfortable.
Whatever you have to tell yourself to make it thru your sad day... Once again, you epitomize the author's point.. You have to try and drag the author back down to your pathetic and morose level..
But I think the true lesson here is to abandon to concept of binary opposition.
And NONE of you can do that. In your tribe, President Trump is the epitome of evil.. President Trump can do no good.. Do no right...
With ya'all, it's ALL binary and it's ALL one way...
Myself, on the other hand, can easily admit President Trump's faults.. And I am famous for knocking the GOP when they screw up...
I am the ONLY registered NPA here in Weigantia™ fer christ's sake!!
You see, bashi... Your problem is when you look at me, you don't realize that I am holding up a mirror and what you are REALLY seeing...
Is yourself..
And THAT is why I am constantly attacked here.. Because I hold up a mirror that shows you people who and what you really are and ya'all simply don't like what you see..
Ya'all's failure to condemn racist comments which, according to Democrats, means ya'all ARE racist is simply the latest example of ya'all not liking what ya'all see in the mirror...
@steedo,
It is ironic that Caddy was accused of ignoring you when his previous post was in regard to your "swinger" profile. Were you afraid to engage him?
Obviously I wasn't since I commented several times on his comments. DUH...
You realize that you posted that profile on the internet where it can be read by billions of people.
Yes, I posted it 20 years ago.. So???
What relevance does it have to politics in the here and now??
Can you answer that, steedo?? No you cannot because you know it has absolutely NO RELEVANCE..
Everybody here read it and was slightly amused but mostly disgusted by it.
Really?? Alternative lifestyles bother you?? So you hate gay people and their alternative lifestyle??
So, you admit you are a bigot... I wish I could say I was surprised, but I am not..
Nobody here posts on your schedule, everybody except you has lives beyond cut-and-pasting what they saw on Fox. Nobody is afraid of you, all you do is type on a keyboard, the only person you ever bitch slapped in person was certainly smaller and weaker than you. Nobody fears a loudmouth that needs a prybar and chain to get out of his recliner. Jack Reacher you ain't.
Yea, yer real brave behind a keyboard... A regular keyboard warrior.. :^/
Let me know when you want some more.
Some more what!?? Whiney bitchy irrelevant comments that really have nothing to do with me??
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA
Tell ya what son.. Why don't you try addressing the FACTS of the issues that are discussed here in Weigantia™.. Not irrelevant bullshit comments I supposedly made 20 years ago..
Are you MAN ENOUGH to actually take me on, on the issues we are discussing without devolving like a drooling idiot about comments from 20 years ago???
Are you??
Of course you're not... Yer just a keyboard warrior who is afraid of any REAL intellectual debate...
I am sure I won't see you around any more.. Yer too much of a pussy...
Really, Steedo? Was that necessary? Maybe you should try posting under your real name, just like me!
Steedo is too much of a pussy to actually post under his real name..
He hides behind a phony name because he has no strength of his convictions...
@racist cad
Weigantians I scroll through but it sucks that some of y'all [*cough*Elizabeth,*cough*] haven't figured out that the best way to get back at trolls is to completely ignore them. Devoting a shed of attention to them pollutes Weigantia, period
Yea?? And that has worked SO WELL for you, eh racist cad?? :D
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
@bashi,
I found a few posts
The fact that I got under your skin SOOOO bad that you felt the NEED to seek out my other posts.....?????
Well, that's just HILARIOUS!!!!
I guess you hated what you saw in the mirror so bad that you had to scour the Internet to find ANYTHING about me you could use, eh???
BBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
that I assumed were spoofed and it spoke more to Michale's long term ability/desire to piss other people off enough that they would go through the trouble to spoof and write posts like that than actual criminal behavior
Awwwwww, com'on bashi.. Why would you want to spoil my fun!!
I was laughing my ass off at racist cad and homophobic vick and steedo driving themselves crazy with phony posts and shit...
I was having a REALLY good time with them over their utter stupidity! And you go and spoil it.. :(
Ass...
(well, aside from the satalite tv thing to which there are court documents..)
Which A> wasn't criminal and B> allowed us to live like kings for a year.. 2 week stays at an Atlantis Resort suite.. An nice quad jet-ski trailer complete with 4 top o the line Honda Jet-Skis... A 3 million dollar house complete with enclosed pool and jacuzzi...
Reminded me of that old NIGHT STALKER episode.. :D
But hay.... Did ya'all *WANT* to talk about me??? Or was it just chit chat... :D
You see how badly I got ya'all PWN'ed... :D
It's HILARIOUS...
Troll
n. A wretch who gets of in irritating people
[ Permalink ] [ Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 at 15:13 ]
[110] MtnCaddy wrote:
...gets OFF on irritating people
It's just that simple.
And here we have racist cad.... *IGNORING* me again...
Between all of racist cad "ignoring" me and his mean-spirited attacks on Weigantian™ administrator, I am guessing racist cad's constant drug use has finally eaten away what was left of his brain..
So, let us take a gander at how racist cad "ignores" me, eh???
It'll be a hoot.. :D
{Reading comments #11 - #18}
Well, that's just... WOW...
What have we learned, people??
First off, racist cad's constant drug use has completely rot'ed his brain away..
Second off, racist cad's CONSTANT claims that he "ignores" me is complete and utter BS... If he were truly ignoring me, he would not be having such a mental breakdown..
Finally, this kind of melt-down is what happens when people do not have the strength of their convictions.. It's what happens when people are so filled with hate and bigotry that they can't see straight and lash out at anyone and anything..
Let this be an object lesson for the likes of homophobic vick and steedo...
When ya'all are filled with hate and bigotry.... Hate and bigotry will consume you...
As it has racist cad..
"Thus ends the object lesson for today."
Colonel Stuart, DIE HARD 2
Now, let's take things down a notch and look at the situation calmly and rationally...
Perhaps if raci.....
Yunno.. I feel sorry for cad... So I am going to drop the 'racist' moniker.. No sense in kicking a man when he's down, eh..
I am going to show cad a level of compassion I am SURE he would not show me if the roles were reversed... :^/
But what can I say.. That's the kinda guy I am... Good Form to a fault..
Anyways... Perhaps if cad had not put all his hate and anger and bigotry into "ignoring" me..
Perhaps if he used that hate and anger and bigotry constructively and channeled it into calm rational rebuttals of all the facts that I present with facts of his own??
Maybe he wouldn't have vapor-locked...
And even MORE to the point..
If ya'all had actually CONDEMNED cad's racist comments it might have been an intervention-esque signal to cad that he was spinning out of control...
But by giving assent to cad's racist comments, ya'all signaled that such transgressions are permissible, which likely lead to cad going even deeper down the hate/bigotry rabbit hole.. If racist spewing's are A-OK in ya'all's book, then how small of a step is it to resoundingly attacking the Weigantia™ administration??
Of course, my responsibility in this is clear.. I constantly drive home the facts and the reality.. I am relentless at it and that may have pushed cad too far.. Especially with the added pressure of "ignoring" me... So, I readily concede my responsibility..
But ya'all need to concede ya'all's responsibility as well.. Had ya'all not let cad's racist comments slide, it may not have come to this..
I tried to warn ya'all.. But ya'all just wouldn't listen...
And here we are...
I am going to make efforts to lower the temp here in Weigantia...
As a first step...
Liz, I think you might find this article very interesting..
Reliving the Nightmare of 1914 (We're Doing It Again)
World War I had no good guys and no winners. France rightly sought the return of the provinces Germany had annexed in 1870. Russia rightly feared that German influence would sever its industrial centers and tax base in the Western parts of it its empire; England feared that Germany would encroach on its overseas empire; Germany feared that Russia’s railroad system would overcome its advantage in mobility and firepower. None of them wanted a war, but each of them decided that it was better to fight in 1914 than fight later at a disadvantage.
Historian Christopher Clark in his 2013 book The Sleepwalkers forever buried the black legend of German aggression in 1914, with proof from Russian archives that the Czar’s mobilization – with French incitement – provoked the outbreak of war. There’s no hero to cheer, no villain to boo in the first tragedy of the 20th century, just mediocre and small-minded politicians unable to step back from the brink.
https://pjmedia.com/columns/david-p-goldman/2022/03/08/reliving-the-nightmare-of-1914-were-doing-it-againi-n1564934
It takes a position on the stupidity of the US/NATO actions that appears to be your position..
Let's be clear, though.. I don't agree with those conclusions any more than I agree with yours..
But, as I have done so in the past, I acknowledge the logical and rational thought processes involved in your conclusions..
In short, I see what you are saying and and I see why you are saying what you are saying..
I simply disagree...
That should be an object lesson for today’s Ukraine crisis. Vladimir Putin acted wickedly, and illegally, by invading Ukraine, but also rationally: Russia has an existential interest in keeping NATO away from his border. Russia will no more tolerate American missiles in Kyiv than the United States would tolerate Russian missiles in Cuba.
The United States could have averted a crisis by adhering to the Minsk II framework of local rule for the Russophone provinces of Eastern Ukraine within a sovereign Ukrainian state but chose instead to keep open Ukraine’s option to join NATO. That was rational, but also stupid: It backed Putin into a corner.
There is no excuse for Putin’s action, but there is an explanation that’s similar to one that applied to his forbears of 1914: Putin chose to attack before the West had the opportunity to arm Ukraine with sophisticated weapons that would raise the future cost of military action.
But here is the thing that the author (and Liz) ignores..
Putin has absolutely NO CAUSE nor reason to fear NATO at the border of Russia...
The US nor NATO has *EVER* been the aggressor in a war of expansion..
Putin cannot make the same claim..
So, while it appears on the surface that Putin's actions are reasonable, when one looks at the underlying FACTS...
There is absolutely NO LOGICAL or rational military reason for Putin to fear a border with NATO..
The ONLY "fear" that is reasonable or logical is a socio-economic fear...
But that fear is Putin's own fault for being a totalitarian dickhead...
If you fear socio-economic freedom might contaminate your government...
Maybe you have the wrong kind of government, eh??
Just a thought...
But, let's look as to what this is REALLY all about..
Barring Putin going nuclear (which is a real distinct possibility) this war will confine itself to Eastern Europe and will end with Russia firmly in control of Ukraine and life goes on...
And THEN the major players of the actual conflict will come into play...
China...
China, a far more powerful challenger than Russia, is watching Ukraine with a calculating eye. It expresses sympathy with Putin’s security concerns but chagrin at his military adventurism. It refrains from helping Russia to flout the sanctions that the West has imposed on Russia.
China has mechanisms in place to finance trade in its own currency, the RMB, and substitute for the SWIFT system that clears international banking transactions in Western currencies, but it does not want to provoke the West by mounting a direct challenge. It has called for a negotiated solution.
But China also looks at Ukraine through the lens of the Taiwan Strait. China has an existential interest in the One China policy, which states that Taiwan ultimately will be reunited with the mainland. China is not a national state but a multi-ethnic, polyglot empire, which was carved up into warring fiefdoms with the help of foreign intervention as recently as the 1930s. Any so-called rebel province threatens the stability of the Chinese state.
If Taiwan seeks a permanent break with the mainland, China will seize it by force. There is a parallel to Putin’s decision in Ukraine. If the West attempts to make Taiwan impregnable to Chinese invasion – what some call a “strategy of denial” – China likely will use force before it loses the option to do so.
Then we will be on a fast track to nuclear war, as Admiral James Stavridis, the former commander of the US Pacific Fleet, portrays in his thriller 2034. China probably can sink American aircraft carriers with surface-to-ship missiles.
In Chinese official media, there is a grim discussion of the parallel between Ukraine and Taiwan. We misjudged Putin, just as he misjudged us. No sanctions or denunciations will hold back the Russian Army. We should not misjudge China. Sometimes an uncomfortable status quo is infinitely preferable to a roll of the dice on peace or war.
Thanx to the incompetence and malfeasance of the Biden Administration, Xi is looking at Taiwan with a gleam in his eye...
The only question that remains is will Xi wait til after the midterms to try and take back Taiwan?? There can be no doubt that it will be either that or before 2024 when President Trump is swept into office..
Xi, like Putin, does NOT want to face a resurgent President Trump..
@steedo
Bash(103)
Duly noted, well-informed opinions always welcome, your comments always solid
How does it feel to be exposed as a TOTAL moron who actually believed that those 20+ year old posts came from me??
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHA
You and vick must feel like complete and utter idiots!!! :D
But in steedo's own moronic way, he has shown a very GOOD point about the dynamic here in Weigantia™...
Yes, this is a political blog where personal attacks abound..
There was a time when things weren't like this. When heated discussion did take place yes, but there was a club picnic kind of atmosphere.. This was especially obvious when my mother passed away many years ago and Weigantians came together to help me thru it...
But since the advent of Trump/America hate, the blog we have today is replete with personal attacks..
But here's the funny thing..
The personal attacks that come from me are about ya'all's politics.. How utterly stoopid and moronic it is to support Democrats and their hate-cops hate-America policies...
The personal attacks that come from ya'all are about me PERSONALLY.. Comments and posts from 20, 30 YEARS ago.. vick goes out, scours the internet and digs up old pictures and government ID pics and comments and websites from 20 30 YEARS ago.. Attacks on my kids and my wife for things from 20 30 years ago... THAT is how ya'all argue politics here in Weigantia™
So, I ask ya... Which is more pathetic.. Personal attacks on ya'all for your POLITICS???
Or personal attacks on me and my family for what occurred, what was posted on the internet DECADES ago???
The answer is clear....
In the here and now, personal attacks are a fact of life here in Weigantia™.. I wish it weren't so, but that's the reality of the here and now...
I readily acknowledge my role in that...
But when one looks at the facts, if there IS a moral or ethical high ground in the midst of a flame war...
It's clear to even the most DULLARD of participants.... That I clearly hold the moral/ethical high ground. Because, barring a minor misstep here or there in my 17 years since the founding of Weigantia, I keep things within the realm of the politics of the here and now and do not venture into areas of dragging family members or 20/30 year old comments into the flame war... Yes, to my extreme regret and shame, I have strayed from the path of righteousness on rare occasions..
But as we have seen with vick and steedo, THEIR actions in that regard is on a CONTINUOUS basis today....
THEY have the power to change things here in Weigantia for the better...
Time will tell as to whether trolls like vick and steedo and (even though I hate to kick him when he's down) cad choose to do so...
Or whether they continue to sink into their morass of hate and bigoted based perversion and depravity....
MtnCaddy,
I think you will agree with me when I suggest that you owe Chris a very sincere and absolute apology for your outburst here yesterday.
We are all guests in his house and owe him the greatest respect at all times, unconditionally.
OK, let's put aside the Weigantian-Dynamic dissection and get back to politics.. :D
We Knew Before He Took Office That Joe Biden Would Set Foreign Policy On Fire
Low public interest in foreign policy and a biased media resulted in little scrutiny of Joe Biden’s extensive foreign policy failures.
American voters usually prioritize domestic issues over foreign policy during presidential elections. But several major blunders just in President Biden’s first year show the danger of not closely scrutinizing presidential candidates’ records on foreign policy.
During the 2020 election, foreign policy-related questions barely came up in any of the debates between President Donald Trump and Biden. The presidential debate commission in fact pulled foreign policy from their debate topics, perhaps to hide Biden’s weakness.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/03/09/we-knew-before-he-took-office-that-joe-biden-would-set-foreign-policy-on-fire/
Even during the election anti-America scumbags helped Biden hid his weaknesses...
Everyone KNEW what a foreign policy moron Biden was...
Remember Odumbo's SecDef's assessment of Biden??
"Joe Biden has been wrong on EVERY foreign policy issue of the last 4 decades.."
Let's not forget Odumbo's OWN words about his Vice President..
"Never underestimate Joe's ability to fuck things up.."
Probably the ONLY thing Odumbo has ever been factually accurate about..
And now we see Biden's ability to frak things up... Front and Center... Inescapable...
Liz,
We are all guests in his house and owe him the greatest respect at all times, unconditionally.
I completely agree with you, as it was me who put forth this concept more than a decade ago when LewDan got out of hand...
But, as subsequent events later proved, with that respect ALSO comes a responsibility to treat guests FAIRLY without regards to political leanings or whose one's political cohorts are..
As you yourself pointed out at the time..
I am trying to move past that hate and anger..
In cad's comments, we have all had a frightening reminder of how badly such hate and anger can consume and I have no desire to trod down that path..
But I can't do it alone...
Trump Was the Clear Foreign Policy Champ
In contrast, foreign policy was one of the bright spots in the Trump presidency. He orchestrated the historical Abraham Peace Accords among Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. His pivot to the Indo-Pacific was far more successful than President Obama’s pivot to Asia initiative.
Under Trump, the United States took a hard line on China, improved its relationship with India (the only Asian power that could check China), and expanded cooperation with allies by establishing the Quad, an unofficial alliance with Australia, India, and Japan. However, since most corporate media were anti-Trump, few wanted to give him any credit for his foreign policy accomplishments.
This is what I was referring to with regards to ya'all being locked into yer tribe and completely unable to see past the Trump/America hate and bigotry...
President Trump had some completely and utterly AWESOME foreign policy wins..
Putting the US Embassy in Jerusalem where it belongs and father'ing the Abraham Accords were just but 2 of the MANY bright spots of President Trump's foreign policy wins..
The Abraham Accords alone was a HUGE... a MONUMENTAL win.. The biggest peace initiative between Israel and the arab world in history.. Even larger than the Camp David Accords of the late 70s...
But ya'all are SOOO locked to your tribe, so consumed by Trump/America hate and bigotry that you are oblivious to everything but the hate and bigotry...
And, as we have seen with cad... It's common knowledge where hate and bigotry to the exclusion of all facts and reality leads...
Michale,
You always say that you can't do it alone. That is a major point of disagreement between us.
I firmly believe that you could do quite a lot all on your own just by setting a good example. You know, leading by example!
Yes, you may not be followed and you may continue to take some abuse but you have to be strong enough to take it without giving it back, in kind. If you could do that, then I am sure that the quality of comments in this place would increase dramatically. And, yes, it may take time.
And, yes, others may never follow your example. And, yes again, that shouldn't matter! We can only control our own comments, set our own example and do all that we can to make this place the very best place on the internet(s) for healthy and muscular political discussion and debate without even the slightest hint of name-calling and any other form of attack on the person instead of on the idea.
Which leads me to my final point and one that Joshua always makes. You add value to this blog simply on the basis that you are coming at issues from a completely different angle than most of us. I have actually invited (for the very first and only time) someone here who also comes from a different political viewpoint than most of us. He has a diametrically opposed view of Biden compared to me but he also understands the value of talking about these things. Though, I am sure that he thinks places like this are the wrong place to talk politics.
My wish is to make this place a welcoming one for people from across the political spectrum where we can chat with each other about some very difficult subjects knowing that we will ALWAYS be respected so long as we will ALWAYS show respect.
Groveling Before China and Russia
China is the most significant strategic rival of the United States, and the Biden administration’s China policies are full of contradictions. It extended some of the Trump administration’s policies, such as adding Chinese companies to an economic blacklist over alleged human rights violations and imposing a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Yet Biden’s secretary of state refused to call China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims a “genocide,” and the U.S. Department of Justice quietly shut down its China-focused anti-espionage investigation.
The first sign of how Biden’s domestic policy would affect his foreign policy occurred during a high-level Sino- U.S. meeting in Alaska in March 2021. Biden and his team have often publicly criticized the United States, and through an executive order, Biden promised to address systemic racism in the country. China’s diplomats employed that same rhetoric to dress down American diplomats and attack America’s moral leadership in Alaska. The U.S. diplomats couldn’t mount a strong rebuttal because Democrats believe it.
All these were early warning signs that Biden’s foreign policy would end up empowering America’s adversaries at our expense. Then came the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. It revealed how incompetent and unfocused the Biden administration is. After it, Biden’s approval rating dropped 8 percent.
Americans don’t like to see our military and government humiliated by a group of ragtag militants. We were distraught over the loss of 13 American soldiers during the withdrawal. America’s embarrassing retreat from Afghanistan emboldened adversaries from Moscow to Beijing to Tehran to achieve their aggressive geopolitical goals.
Basically, Biden and the Democrats adopt a DEMOCRAT PARTY FIRST, AMERICA LAST attitude...
Biden and his mafia family have, PERSONALLY, plus many Democrats made hundreds of millions of dollars off of their political connections...
Biden and the Democrats are all about personal power and money...
They simply do not have America's best interests at heart...
And that is why Americans will, enmasse boot the Democrats out of office in November...
Michale,
You might actually change some minds about some of the things Trump did if you weren't always disrespecting everybody.
Liz,
You always say that you can't do it alone. That is a major point of disagreement between us.
I firmly believe that you could do quite a lot all on your own just by setting a good example. You know, leading by example!
I can do a lot on my own.. And have done so on many occasions...
But, as usual, it's all one sided without even a HINT of reciprocation from the likes of vick et al...
To put it into context, it's like blaming Ukraine for the war because they refuse to lay down their weapons and let Russia walk all over them..
If your passion extended the same to vick et al to get THEM to stop, then you might have a rational argument to stand on..
But we both know that, with them, you give one attempt and then just let it go..
cad's ongoing comments about "ignoring" me is a perfect example.. If you had called cad on it every time he did it (as you do with me) then he might not have gone off the deep end...
If your position was applied equally to BOTH parties, without passion or prejudice, then you would be morally and ethically in the right...
But it's not, so you're not..
Yes, you may not be followed and you may continue to take some abuse but you have to be strong enough to take it without giving it back, in kind. If you could do that, then I am sure that the quality of comments in this place would increase dramatically. And, yes, it may take time.
So I am required to be vicks and cads and steedos et al punching bag..
What do they bring to the party??? What are you going to hold THEM to???
Is it a mere coincidence that those who are the INSTIGATORS of all this flaming are also those you agree with politically?? I don't believe it is..
Again, to put it in a context of the here and now, it would be as if China approached the US and said, "Look, why don't you lead by example and not fight back??"
It's not a tenable or rational ask... It's completely unfair to expect...
Michale,
If your position was applied equally to BOTH parties, without passion or prejudice, then you would be morally and ethically in the right...
But, my position DOES apply equally to everyone here, including myself.
I focus on you because, well, because we, along with Joshua, go back together for longer than anyone else and so I just care more about you and because you are the only one really who consistently offers up any generally opposing viewpoints on the issues we discuss here. I wish you knew just how many times I've had to bite my tongue to stop responding to your valid arguments because of the disrespectful way you present them! :(
So I am required to be vicks and cads and steedos et al punching bag..What do they bring to the party??? What are you going to hold THEM to???
I will make a promise to do just that, so long as you keep on the straight and narrow and never respond back in kind.
I will even promise to pay more attention to each and every comment here so that I don't miss any wrongdoing. I am sure that Joshua would also do the same.
[32]
MtnCaddy
Brother, are you OK? I do not know what prompted your attacks on CW, but your anger seems extreme and very misguided to the point it feels self-destructive. If this is just your attempt to get CW to respond, I would hope a direct email would better accomplish that goal if you haven’t already tried that. Breathe!
— Russ
No, I'm not okay. Fucking Vladimir Putin invaded the land of my ancestors and I'm pissed.
Furthermore, CW obviously doesn't give a fuck about Weigantia. So now, I have to scroll through endless trollery.
Tried a direct email but CW couldn't be bothered to reply.
Dunno where self-destructive came from.
My wish is to make this place a welcoming one for people from across the political spectrum where we can chat with each other about some very difficult subjects knowing that we will ALWAYS be respected so long as we will ALWAYS show respect.
And once MY comments and MY facts are acknowledged and respected, then your wish for Weigantia™ might actually come to pass..
But until your demands for respect are equally applied.. They are doomed to failure..
Liz,
I will make a promise to do just that, so long as you keep on the straight and narrow and never respond back in kind.
I will even promise to pay more attention to each and every comment here so that I don't miss any wrongdoing. I am sure that Joshua would also do the same.
OK.. NOW *THAT* has piqued my interest...
OK.. You have a deal... If you can get JL on-board I will do my part to bring peace and fun back to Weigantia....
This really has potential... I think we can make this work.. :D
Well, it is certainly worth a try, Michale!
In keeping with my new found optimism... :D
Liz what's your thoughts on the article mentioned in comment #43???
Well, it is certainly worth a try, Michale!
I completely and unequivocally agree... Let's do this!!!
"Peace in our time.."
-Tony Stark, AVENGERS-AGE OF ULTRON
:D
And once MY comments and MY facts are acknowledged and respected, then your wish for Weigantia™ might actually come to pass..
Let me rephrase that for you, just a bit:
"And, once I am respected and the focus remains on my arguments and ideas and not on 'me' then, Liz's wish for Weigantia might actually come to pass!"
I am sure you would acknowlege that we are not always going to agree but that is the fun of it, right? None of us have all of the facts on every issue but we certainly do have our opinions on everything and it is fun to express them and open them up to critical examination.
Peace in our time.."
-Tony Stark, AVENGERS-AGE OF
Indeed!
Today is a GOOD day for Weigantia!! :D
what's your thoughts on the article mentioned in comment #43???
Sorry, I missed that. It looks like an interesting read. Unfortunately, I have to start getting ready for work now but, I'll be back later tonight to discuss ...
Today is a GOOD day for Weigantia!! :D
It makes me very, very happy!
I am sure you would acknowlege that we are not always going to agree but that is the fun of it, right?
Completely and unequivocally agree...
I have always said... If it's shown that I am wrong, shown with FACTS than I am ecstatic.. Because it means that I learned something new.. :D
None of us have all of the facts on every issue but we certainly do have our opinions on everything and it is fun to express them and open them up to critical examination.
Could not possibly agree more.. :D
I am worried that this new found spirit of gentility will harm my campaign to rename Weigantia the Michale Vick Dog Fight Arena.
If all parties agree to the cease fire, it just might..
Wouldn't that be great!!??? :D
Michale [35]
Your praises of Obama were back handed at best and I have nothing for Biden...
You cannot even CONCEDE that ya'all are wrong about President Trump... This is also well-documented..
What has he done worth praise? Nothing. Zip. Zilch. He was worse then I imagined. I have praised Bush and Reagan though...
Once again, you prove the author's point... You are EXACTLY who the author was talking about..
I get news from sources from ALL UP AND DOWN the political spectrum.. I LISTEN (IE read) what other people are saying regardless of if it fits my political views or not....
You have no idea where I get my news. I do know you don't get your science news from science sites...
Ya'all make it a POINT to *BRAG* about how none of ya'all will read comments or articles that don't confirm ya'all's own biases and bigotries..
Ya'all BRAG about it!!
Ya'all are EXACTLY who this author was writing about..
Really? Please point out where I have bragged about anything. OK I do brag I get my science from hard science publications like Nature and read the papers from the scientist themselves. You got me there...
And NONE of you can do that. In your tribe, President Trump is the epitome of evil.. President Trump can do no good.. Do no right...
And how is that any different than you with Biden?
I am the ONLY registered NPA here in Weigantia™ fer christ's sake!!
Wouldn't a registered NPA be an oxymoron? But I am not registered to a political party and a few others have mentioned they are independents. Kick I think, I forget who else...
And THAT is why I am constantly attacked here.. Because I hold up a mirror that shows you people who and what you really are and ya'all simply don't like what you see..
No, you are "consistently attacked" here because you drown out everyone else with the mass posting gish gallop act. I figure you are afraid to discuss topics where you have to make a coherent argument then back it up with real facts, not your mislabeled equivalents so you drown everyone out. Or do you really think posting the same opinion over and over in any way strengthens the base argument?
Ya'all's failure to condemn racist comments which, according to Democrats, means ya'all ARE racist is simply the latest example of ya'all not liking what ya'all see in the mirror...
Yawn. As opposed to what? The poster here who reacts with glee anytime a cop kills a black man?
Michale [39]
The fact that I got under your skin SOOOO bad that you felt the NEED to seek out my other posts.....?????
Well, that's just HILARIOUS!!!!
What's hilarious is you think you have a working memory. You handed that to me on a silver platter with your idiotic proof by google search results tomfoolery.
Though all the canned laughter does make you look desperate for attention...
As for the satellite thing, I get it, breaking the law pays well but it makes your law and order act a bit hypocritical.
[74]
... and I have nothing seen for Biden......
[76]
... and I have seen nothing for Biden...
Dam, I need more coffee...
Well, Chris you seem to have gotten over the wetting yourself because Putin talked tough phase. Congratulations.
You're still a fuckhead for allowing the troll pollution of Weigantia.
bashi,
In light of Liz's awesome breakthrough here in Weigantia, I am simply going to say, "Thank you, bashi"..
Thank you for pointing out how completely and utterly ridiculous those claims that the ridiculous posts from 20-30 years ago were actually from me.
Thanks bashi.. Yer a peach...
Your welcome, though one can easily tell which are yours and which are spoofed...
This really has potential... I think we can make this work.. :D
Your post count will decide that for most of us. Especially the new lame habit of splitting a story in to as many posts as possible to pad your count.
I suspect your need to gish gallop is ingrained too deeply and this will not last long, but I am willing to be pleasantly surprised...
When I was a platoon leader during the First Gulf War, I would sometimes conduct training sessions where I would ask my sergeants and 2nd LTs to take positions that they did not support..
This would give them insights in how to think on their feet and improvise and implement military offense and defense strategies that they would normally never have to consider..
As anyone with military experience can tell you, NO battle plan survives contact with the enemy..
Making my sergeants and 2nd LTs take positions they would never consider dumps them into unfamiliar environments where they would have to THINK to survive..
In keeping with that invaluable training tool, I have decided to resurrect this training tool and apply it here in Weigantia...
I'll just need to tool around and find an appropriate Democrat postion..
I think it will be fun..
Bashi,
Your welcome, though one can easily tell which are yours and which are spoofed...
If one cares to make such a determination.. That's kinda the point. :D
Your post count will decide that for most of us.
If that's all you look for then that's all you'll find.. :D
So, if I limit my post count, you will concede you were wrong?? :D
It doesn't matter.. I think Liz just single-handedly saved Weigantia.. :D
I for one, am ecstatic.. :D
Only a well constructed and backed up argument would get me there. We do have to maintain standards after all :D
Only a well constructed and backed up argument would get me there. We do have to maintain standards after all :D
Fair enough..
We'll see if we can get there.. :D
Russia moved to block access to Facebook within its borders on Friday. Media from Washington Post, New York Times and CNN have also shut down transmitting in Russia.. McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Pepsi has also shut down operations in Russia.
Which means the Russian people are the healthiest and best informed people on the planet..
:D
So... Is anyone watching the new Star Trek series PICARD???
I was very disappointed in the new season of Discovery and haven't bothered with it..
But ANY Trek series that features 'Q' is a definite worth-seeing in my book..
Catching up with Ep 2 right now.. Looking forward to it..
Anyone else??
Anyone who wants can register as unaffiliated.
Re: Picard
Watched season 1, Are other seasons out now?
Yea... Up to season 2 ep 2 is available..
It's MIND BLOWING!!! :D
Q and Time Travel.. What is not to like!!??? :D
If I recall, JL... Your favorite TNG episode was a Q/Time Travel episode, eh? :D
I don't do cable anymore but one of the streaming channels had Picard. I liked the curmudgeon in space ascetic for the few episodes I watched.
Q on the other hand, is by far my most hated character in the entire Star Trek canon, up there with poker on the holodeck as places Star Trek did not need to go. Star Trek did not need an all powerful god. The gods in episodes like Who Mourns for Adonais? were enough...
I've gotten to the point that TNG just doesn't work for me anymore. One time through was fun but reruns just don't hold up like the original series. I can do reruns of Deep Space Nine and Voyager after 7 of 9 joined but rarely TNG...
I don't do cable anymore but one of the streaming channels had Picard. I liked the curmudgeon in space ascetic for the few episodes I watched.
The conclusion story of Data was, BY FAR, the best part of Season 1 of Picard.. A close second was the return of Hugh....
Q on the other hand, is by far my most hated character in the entire Star Trek canon, up there with poker on the holodeck as places Star Trek did not need to go. Star Trek did not need an all powerful god. The gods in episodes like Who Mourns for Adonais? were enough...
BLASPHEMER!!!!!!
Q is awesome... He is simply a mirror that he holds up to Picard and the rest of humanity... Sound familiar?? :D
A perfect example of this was when Q introduced the Federation to the Borg... For all of Picard's protestations of peaceful Federation altruism..
When confronted with demise, Federation pacifism goes out the window and it's time to bring in James T Kirk!!
"Of course I'm arrogant!! I've EARNED it!!!"
-Q
Are you seeing the resemblance?? :D
I've gotten to the point that TNG just doesn't work for me anymore. One time through was fun but reruns just don't hold up like the original series. I can do reruns of Deep Space Nine and Voyager after 7 of 9 joined but rarely TNG...
I can do TNG til Season 5 and maybe some aspects of Season 6.. But after that, TNG just tried too hard to be cutting edge woke and it got boring...
Although the finale was pretty good, thanx to Q...
I completely agree with you about Voyager after that mewing quim Kes was discarded of...
Deep Space Nine, given the military bent was ALWAYS a pleasure...
The Tribbles episode of DS9 ranks as my all time favorite Trek episode of ANY series... :D
Halfway into S2E2 of PICARD...
It just keeps getting better... :D
I'll try to avoid SPOILERS, but no promises..
Well, now we know the holdup in providing fighter aircraft to Ukraine.. :^/
The Biden administration has refused to sign off on the delivery of fighter aircraft to Ukraine because to do so would be an escalation...
Which simply harkens back to what I said before..
Why are we basing our actions on what PUTIN would say or do??
If we send a bullet to Ukraine, Putin can say it's an "escalation"..
If we are going to give Putin a say in what the US does, we may as well pack it in and go home.. :^/
Earlier, I gave an article for Liz..
JL.. It's your turn...
The Grown-Ups Are Losing It
If you’re an American schoolchild, you’ve probably spent much of your recent life alone at home in the mesmerizing glow of a screen, twitching between Google Classroom and innumerable online distractions. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to spend most days in an actual classroom with two-thirds of your face wrapped up, trying to make yourself heard and hear others, taking 30 seconds to shove your lunch down. Your schedule is often unpredictable; some days there’s no one to teach you at all. During the pandemic, you’ve lost at least three months of instruction—or nearly twice that, if your family is poor—as well as the steady company of people your own age. The grown-ups around you fret incessantly about your “mental-health issues” and “social-emotional learning,” which only makes your anxiety and depression worse.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-grown-ups-are-losing-it/ar-AAUSx2U
Posted without prejudice or passion or comment beyond the fact that I think you will like it...
From prev.
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..
You weren’t being asked to defend Trump, but you were expected to defend what your posts about Trump claimed…and you failed to do so.
Michale, you have always felt like you were authorized/ had the right to determine and state what everyone else’s beliefs are for them…and you have ALWAYS been wrong! And despite being informed that making such false claims invalidates your arguments from the start, you have continued to demand that we defend or prove that your lies are not true when you offered no evidence to suggest that they were true to begin with!
I am not going to defend positions that I have never actually held just because you think that I have to. In most of your posts, you twist reality and the truth to make your dishonest positions seem reasonable. Luckily, when you are being dishonest, you have a HUGE tell that is easily recognized by all who read your posts: you state that what you are claiming is a FACT that everyone agrees on!
So, NO! I didn’t walk into anything. I responded to your post and shared why what you claimed was untrue. You failed to defend YOUR OWN STATEMENTS when called out. I never claimed that your failure to respond was a concession on your part. I don’t believe that. You are standing by your lie no matter how many ways I prove you wrong. Saying that our failure to defend your false statements about what we supposedly believe somehow equates to our assent of said lies is bullshit.
Michale,
Just got home and my mind is mush - I will get to that article, though. Looks like we'll have lots of time to discuss it ... :(