546 Comments

Thank you Heather.

I was just reading about this young pilot that lost his life defending his Country. God rest his soul. At 29, this young man was willing to give his all for his Country. That is a trait I find in few here and it's showing as democracy is fleeting under the hands of the minority.

Do you notice how the GOP players that consistently vote against the grain are the same faces. The GOP have become just too mundane in their begging for attention to be contrary.

As the clock ticks towards the midterms, we need to adopt the fight of the Ghost of Kyiv if we want to keep and further Democracy on our own soil.

Be safe. Be well.

Expand full comment

It is heartening to read of Europe's unification on the stopping of the flow of Russian gas. Biden is doing great work. It hurts every day to see the bombing of a country which did not deserve to be invaded. Putin is a danger to the whole world. I hope that the Russians come to learn of this travesty. The Republicans who did not support the Senate and House on keeping pressure on Russia are not serving our country and the world. Shame on them.

Expand full comment
Apr 30, 2022·edited Apr 30, 2022

As always, my thanks for this LFAA, Heather. Among its gems, one stands out for its significance:

"Biden added, 'What I want to make clear to the Congress and the American people is this: the cost of failing to stand up to violent aggression in Europe has always been higher than the cost of standing firm against such attacks. That is as it always has been, and as it always will be.' He was referring to the misguided attempt to appease Adolf Hitler by accepting Germany’s 1938 annexation of the Sudetenland rather than resisting. Appeasing dictators never stops them; it simply emboldens them to increase their demands. And by the time the European war broke out in 1939, Hitler had significantly strengthened Germany’s forces.”

You invariably highlight how history can and does repeat itself. The fact that our president has been able to enhance and renew our alliances with European countries is so reassuring.

Oh, and the vignette about Queen Leticia of Spain is such a bonus!

Expand full comment

I read comments urging diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine. Since the Russians invaded in 2014, people have said there is no military solution only diplomacy. This is bullshit. There is ONLY a military solution to Russian aggression. Biden is correct. Russia must be destroyed so it can never threaten its neighbors again.

The useful idiots on the left promoting diplomacy include Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky and Bill Blum. This article is about several others.

www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-sneakiest-defenders-of-vladimir-putins-ukraine-invasion-and-chinas-xinjiang-repression

Expand full comment

"Biden added, “What I want to make clear to the Congress and the American people is this: the cost of failing to stand up to violent aggression in Europe has always been higher than the cost of standing firm against such attacks. That is as it always has been, and as it always will be.” Biden could have talked about failure to address Russian aggressions since Putin was in office. 1. Consolidation of Russian control of South Ossetia and intimidation of Georgia in 2003 after Georgia elected a pro-western government. (During GW Bush's presidency) 2. Continued acquiescence to Russia's control of Transnistria (During GW Bush's presidency), 3. Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 (During Barack Obama's presidency and after the 2013 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine). 4. Dombas area separatists get Russian support also in 2014. Bipartisan American foreign policy attention elsewhere allowed Putin to think that he could invade Ukraine without consequences. Credit to Biden for stopping this now. If Trump were President, we would be watching Putin move on from Ukraine to the Baltic and maybe more.

Expand full comment

Peace and freedom for the Ukrainian people. Glad to see our country doing the right thing and standing by them. Ukraine is an inspiration to the world for defending democracy.

Expand full comment
Apr 30, 2022·edited Apr 30, 2022

I love this letter so much. Thank you this one especially. 💕 I'm so proud of Spain!

Expand full comment

“ Countries supporting Ukraine have begun to talk not just of defending Ukraine, but seeing Ukraine “win,” and weakening Russia’s ability to meddle in the affairs of other countries.” IF that becomes the end result, I would hope various leaders of various countries will recall the disastrous results of the Versailles Treaty. IF winning simply results in a gigantic humiliation of Russia, apart from the main goal of stopping Russian aggression in Ukraine, we can count on Russia coming back with far more dangerous warmongerings! The next step ought to involve some sort of investment in educating the Russian people about their responsibilities in any activity their government undertakes. Which is another way of saying that if Russia continues to be a tyranny and basically a one man ruled country, any peace treaty will be short lived and inconsequential in the long run. Which is another way of pointing out the fact that wars never ever solve problems. They are temporary bandaids. Whoever was most humiliated will come roaring back with a blind vengeance. Think uSA southern states!

Expand full comment

They used to (pre-DJT) lock people up for treason or do MTG and others just view Russian butchery as alternative facts. These Senators are monsters!!!!!!

BTW, speaking of WW II, today in 1945, Hitler committed suicide. Perhaps Putin, Orban et al will emulate their hero.

Expand full comment

Something going on with Substack! this LFAM episode still hasn't reached my e-mail. Previously it would be on my phone 20 minutes after hitting FB. How come it gets onto Substack 2 hours late and it still isn't distributed to subscribers?

Expand full comment
Apr 30, 2022·edited Apr 30, 2022

I think we should start referring to this congressional group (+ Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Etc) as The Russian Agents & Useful Idiots Caucus.

“…with only 10 Representatives, all Republicans, voting against it. Those ten included Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and others who also voted against last week’s House resolution “expressing support for Moldova’s democracy, independence, and territorial integrity” in the face of Russian threats.”

Expand full comment

How is it possible that "Those ten included Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), " are so reliably on the wrong side? Of history? Of decency? Do they reflect the views of their constituents in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, etc? Is it a coincidence that these state seem to be most interested in restricting voting?

Expand full comment

It’s astounding that such coordination within the US and internationally is not being proposed to deal with the climate emergency. . It shows how taken for granted the notion of military geopolitical threat remains as our only priority. Meanwhile scientists have now modeled a great mass extinction of all oceans. Life by 2300. Essentially this would starve much of the human race and lead to untold other consequences.

Expand full comment

Stepan Tarabalka, rest in peace.

Expand full comment

"Appeasing dictators never stops them" Duh! Two things kids learn-if you give in to a bully he just comes after you for more and two: when the bully is picking on one kid on the playground, to shut them down, the rest of the kids need to go stand with the victim. Doesn't matter if it is elementary school or countries. Human behavior doesn't change because of the age of the participants.

Expand full comment