Thanks, Heather for alerting us to the importance of this historical moment. I'm hoping it is not the beginning of the end of history.
Like most people who are even dimly aware of current events, I am horrified and saddened by the truly reckless and gratuitous war Putin has decided to wage against Ukraine, but I am also thrilled and uplifted by the Ukrainians’ courageous defense of their country and of their right to live in a peaceful democracy.
I have even become a fan of President Zelenskyy who, despite earlier being roundly dismissed as a neophyte and a lightweight by many commentators, has clearly mastered the fine art of true leadership under the most trying of circumstances in less than one week. Whatever it is he’s got, it’s extremely rare, and I will be devastated if/when the Russians finely manage to kill him. Putin is such a shit.
I agree with Biden’s calm and firm way of dealing with what he surely saw from the beginning as a crossroads in history and a moment of extreme danger for all of humanity.
And, I am also impressed with how quickly most of the world’s leaders have rallied around to support Ukraine and NATO and apply sanctions to Russia, even though they know that these will greatly complicate their attempts to solve all the other problems they already have on their over-filled plates. They understand that our continued existence as a species is at stake and that Putin’s behavior cannot go unpunished. And normally at this point in my rant, I would say, “Of course, global warming is the real elephant in the room.”
But, no. The elephant, the really big one, is the world’s collective failure to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons in the 77 years since our -- and the world's -- first and last use of atomic bombs in anger. I read today that the USA and Russia still have something like 12,000 nuclear weapons between them, with many more belonging to China, India, Great Britain, France, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and perhaps Iran by now. Did I leave anyone out? My apologies.
Am I wrong, or hadn’t we all pretty much decided that once the Berlin Wall had fallen and some Russians had discovered how much fun capitalism could be, we could just not worry about nukes as much as we used to back in the good old days of duck-and-cover and Dr. Strangelove? Does everyone realize how close we all are to human extinction as a bitter, twisted, frustrated and possibly mad-as-a-hatter Putin ups the ante day by day, coyly hinting that we may soon see something extraordinary and unimaginable if we continue to torment him with threats of sanctions as he rapes his peaceful, hopeful democratic neighbor?
Now, as if to make amends for his coyness, he has put his nuclear defense forces on “alert”. And after the alert, what is there, a loud warning of some sort? Sirens, perhaps? Or are we totally depending on some senior Russian minister or general to be Putin’s “adult in the room” when the great would-be tsar and judo champion stands on the button while blowing out his own brains? Will he leave the “recall” codes scribbled on his long desk? Does hair-trigger nuclear readiness even allow for recall codes anymore?
I think if we – all of us – survive this Ukraine crisis, and Putin is given a graceful way to back down while blaming all the anguish on us, which is to say everyone, and some wiser heads in the Kremlin can push him into early retirement or make him "disappear" by other means, sooner rather than later, then our first order of business -- after downing something sternly alcoholic and taking to our beds for a week – should be to somehow gather all the world’s leaders together and convince them to agree to universal nuclear disarmament.
No. MAD has kept reasonably sane US and Russian leaders from destroying our world, but it has not led to our creation of a better world in which war is never the answer. No. Limits are not good enough. No country or individual can be trusted with nukes. Ban. Eliminate.
If we, as a species, wish to continue to exist – at least for a while -- we just have to get this done.
Right on the button, David -- and I am not being funny. This is no joke. Someone in Putin's entourage must see the madness in his words and deeds. Surely, he can't be surrounded by pure evil.
Immanuel Kant once said: "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and more steadily one reflects upon them: the starry skies above me and the moral law within me." These words are also etched on his tombstone. I like to think that a moral law lives within us all and that, ultimately, it will prevail.
Or perhaps, the "past is not even past" and this threat is what we need to ban nuclear weapons forever. I certainly hope so!
Heather, deep thanks to you for another brilliant and highly informative letter!
Thanks Rowshan, that's a great epitaph. The Cuban missile crisis pushed us in the right direction, but not far enough. Maybe the Ukraine crisis will get us over the top.
According to a documentary of the cuban crisis JFK agreed to remove the nuclear missiles from eastern Europe in exchange for the Russian withdrawal, only that it should be in secret. It seems it has been so secret that it never took place: The missiles in Turkey were used by ISIS as a "protected" entrance to Syria. You might also remember Turkey suddenly shooting down a Russian fighter jet on the border to Syria. I thought that was because it came too close to the US missiles. New missiles were placed i Poland during a media shadow from Israel attacking Gaza. I think we need to know this to understand the fury of Russia. The withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from eastern Europe is as legitimate as Cuba not hosting such missiles.
I agree, we should not have nuclear missiles in eastern Europe. You would think there is room for negotiation on this, but only with a Russia willing to respect the legitimate rights of neighboring states like Ukraine.
Unfortunately Russia has again demonstrated that it is unable to negotiate. Like a psychopath, Putin will make statements to calm the enemy, and then use that lull to escalate and move forward with his original intentions which, in this case, are to destroy Ukraine unless it submits to Putin's will.
Today's column by Greg Olear discusses the Russian/Putin mindset. The Russian dictator only understands an iron fist, and believes it is entitled to anything it can take. Much of the West doesn't get this. NATO was created to keep the world safe from Russian aggression.
German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer reported this from a tour with ISIS in 2015: "Inside IS". ISIS considered it safer to pass this part of the Turkish/Syrian border, safer from being bombed. The age of the missiles would not be of importance in that case, but maybe the superstitions of ISIS or the ignorance of Syria was. I never heard of any explanation for Turkey shooting down a Russian fighter jet, they were not supposed to fight each other, but it might of course just have passed the border. The missiles in Poland were added when Poland had become a member of Nato, which was just what Putin had been concerned about with the expansion of Nato, and claimed he had been promised there would be no nukes. First time I noticed the use of media shadow.
Good morning, dear Rowshan. Not sure why comments are deleting as fast as posted. Let me say again….
That moral law does live within all of us. It is the Light. No matter what the name, someone close to me referenced it as the Holy Spirit this weekend, there is no opposite and not possible to extinguish it.
It does indeed. When it is exhibited publicly at a point of danger, it is identified as “moral courage” and acts like a beacon to those who bear witness, who in turn find their Holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, moral order does not exist in all of us. Or it may exist. Or it may exist but have been buried by terrible exigencies in one’s life. Or it may exist and the host may be psychologically unable to hear it.
It is a moment of pure collective failure when one man can hold the lives of millions, potentially billions, to his whims or demons.
Regardless of how I try, I cannot see how this ends in a good way. And I find this fear-inducing.
There seems little likelihood of Putin popping up on state media and saying, “Oops. Bad mistake on my part. Sorry folks.”
Russia could overwhelm Kyiv militarily in the next few days to the point that capitulation is the only option for this brave people. But that will only embolden Putin and thus the situation will not have “ended”.
Putin could see the mockery he has made of his ambitions and commit suicide. That is not a common tendency among megalomaniacs.
The Russian people could overthrow Putin. Barely a possibility. But it does exist.
Putin could be assassinated. He’s not a guy who’s out and about much, and by all reports is the paranoid’s paranoid.
The West could actually go to war to support Ukraine. I see this as being the most negligible chance of all. Unless…Putin uses tactical nuclear weapons to subdue Ukraine. At that point, all bets are off for our survival as a species.
To be honest, my mind keeps coming back to nuclear weapons. The more Kyiv succeeds in resisting, the more likely it is that the madman will act this out. The more the world turns against Russia and tears at the deeply wounded bear the more likely becomes the nuclear option for Trump.
But there is the Holy Spirit or its equivalent in other religions. I persist in this belief. And perhaps people, imbued with this, will find a solution that falls well short of doomsday. We are at the most dangerous point in my lifetime and I lived through the Cuban missile crisis. That looked like nuclear brinksmanship, but the historical record shows that Krushchev had given orders weeks before for his commanders to turn around if blockaded.
A variation on this prayer was asked of me recently. Driving to and from a solo gig, I invariably pass a confederate style compound. Normally I have a well healed negative reaction. A couple of weeks ago, I heard a still small voice ask me to pray for them as I drove by. So I did - asking the Spirit of God to settle upon their place and their souls - come what may. Gotta say, this action cleared some crud out of my soul.
Wow, that is an incredible inner transformation. It requires love, for self and other. Not always easy to get there. Thank you for sharing, Jean-Pierre!
I'm really going to work on this... I stumbled away from the Catholic Church over the last 5 decades, but my belief in the Holy Spirit was my guiding light for most of my adult life.. I had even forgotten about that (her) ..I guess it just faded away? I am beckoning her back... she just might be eager to do some 'grace sharing'!
I don’t think Putin is necessarily surrounded by evil people as he is fearful people… which also sums up our own faction … though they have manufactured their fear … they haven’t witnessed pedophilia, though they believe that is what their opponents are doing. Their manufactured fears are irrational and unbelievable, but that’s their stance.
Seems that I remember a 60 Minutes show in which the Russians asked the US for help in securing some of their nukes from rogue actors. Our congress, including arsehole Tom Delay refused. Maybe I’m old and dreamed that up, but I remember thinking that this will come back to bite us.
Thank you Rowshan. This moment seems to be bringing a moral clarity. And it brings the threat of nurclear weapons forcefully to new generations. May the moral law awaken more! Hopefully someone in Putins entourage will see the light so to speak. The oligarchs are awakening also!
Exactly. GA Senator Sam Nunn knew this well and called for it and spent his life working for it. It we clear this crisis — and it is the GIANT elephant, gorilla, viper, exploding virus, scorching end-of-time-death-wish in the room — it is time to truly lay down arms and pound these death scythes into plowshares. The nuclear threat is real and I feel it. My central nervous system is ragged, as is that of most of the world. That we would survive this madman’s ego trip, after we survived DJT’s ego trip, would be, I hope, the sign we need to cherish the Earth and each other. And to stop allowing greedy and corrupt plutocrats to continue to exploit and destroy humanity and our fragile island home.
Sorry, but Putin sounding the alert to his nuclear forces is a confession of failure and a non-story otherwise. What’s he going to do with them? He’s an arrogant bastard and megalomaniacal, but I have seen no evidence of suicidal ideation, for himself or his country.
What we need to do now is to find a way for him to climb down without having to commit hara kiri. Leave him to his own people.
No graceful exit for Putin this time. He needs to fall out a window, be gunned down in the street or be poisoned - or - they could just lock him in that room with the big table, forever, a la Ivan IV.
Either he can't stand them or they can't stand him? I also loved the other image of him at one end of a very long carpet with his ministers huddled at the other end. Dominate much?
He’s terrified of Covid, which is rampant in Russia. He is trying to keep himself from getting it. Meanwhile, Russian citizens, with little concern for themselves, protest in the streets and are hauled off to God-knows what kinds of tortures.
Or the long table could simply be another phallic compensation thing.
Part of his sickness actually... he literally does not want anyone too get close to him! Not sure if that started as a covid thing? But I keep hearing respectable sources saying 'he's really lost it'?!
Well, Jon, about the same time the first nukes arrive we will know how crazy he is. But, yes, the best thing is to trade a rapid repatriation of the Russian army for a few Europe-based American nukes and let Putin explain what happened in Ukraine to his own people.
Don’t be so sure. The Russians have a much lower bar to using tactical nuclear weapons than we do. And there is growing agreement that this is not the Putin of, say, ten years ago.
Epstein, in my opinion, did not commit suicide. No one ever really saw the body other than the “coroner”. The last person to see him was Wm. Barr and the two “guards” supposedly watching him, were either inept, asleep, or looked the other way. Sounded very mafioso to me.
As long as the United States exists as the largest and most aggressive military state in the world, nobody outside the USA who has a nuclear weapon will give them up.
Short Story Reason:
Ho Chi Minh, a guy who had watched the French plunder his nation and enslave his people, at one time, decided he had seen more than enough of Colonial rule, exploitation and enslavement.
He began to fight back in what was, in fact, a heroic effort to use an amateur army to bravely defend the honor of his people against French exploitation.
For years he slowly but surely beat the French, who, upon seeing a gun or any threat to themselves, mostly turned and ran. An why not? Their death would not be for a noble cause.
Then? As Ho Chi Minh began to believe that he could free his countrymen from enslavement?? As his people's effort to free themselves from a government of no laws and enslavement began to work and his country came close to breaking the yoke of colonialism by kicking out the French??
Yes. Sir. Reeeee!!!
Here comes the red, white and blue USA, now the largest military in the entire world AND carrying Playboy magazine, a standard issue to American troops!!!! Whoop ass!!
Suddenly, Ho Chi Minh's troops were outnumbered and Vietnamese women were safe nowhere that American troops were stationed.
We all know the end of the story (after more than 25 years of killing, spraying agent orange, raping women and burning villages, and don't forget the secret and illegal bombing of Cambodia, which, is still finding bombs today when a kid gets blown up playing in field).
Finally, beaten, exhausted, and running out of poor American men to draft and waste, the USA pulled OUT of Vietnam.
But, what if Ho Chi Minh had obtained a nuke? And. What if he could have used it on say, NY City?
Seems horrifying does it not? But, would that have helped him avoid the carnage of his own people that we sponsored on his country?
Absolutely yes.
So, don't look for a big NO NUKES movement in the near future because,
the USA is more dangerous today than it was then.
The USA is a borderline rogue state with a possible future run by rogue elements of what used to be the Republican Party but remains the Party of Putin whose lover boy Trump is highly likely to be President in 2024 (Dr. Richardson's optimism nothwithstanding).
not GOP but POP.
I would not give up my nukes (if I had any) now and nobody else will either.
Mike S., your history is good and your reasoning is sound. Would Ho Chi Minh have launched a nuke at New York if he could have? Your guess is as good as mine. I hope not if he understood that a gesture like that could lead to the general destruction of the human species.
I also agree that the USA is more to blame for the present nuclear terror than any other nation. I mean, we invented the damn things and then used them. But that was then, and I really have no idea how the US would respond if the Russians fired a demonstration nuke into an empty field in Ukraine, or even if the whole Russian nuclear arsenal was coming at us over the North Pole. I would certainly not envy Joe Biden in the few minutes he would have to make a decision.
Oh, Pat. These are the nightmare experiences of soldiers and innocent victims. As as teenager in the 60's. I loved art and used to copy posters that stated "War is not healthy for children and other living things." I still feel that way and do not understand why men choose to be so destructive. As you describe, war brings out the most horrible, tragic and traumatic experiences for everyone involved. I lament the memories of everyone impacted by war, abuse and violence. We can do better. We MUST.
The LIFE magazine picture of the young Vietnamese girl whose clothes were ripped off her fragile little body when we used Napalm to disseminate human beings there, comes to mind. Very few women, if any, conjure up ideas to kill. I too, do not understand the thinking of man.
Yes, it is difficult, but those deeply human scars, when we witness, and yet do not totally shut down from what life throws in front of us, hopefully make us love more and forgive faster. I wish that for you Pat, but it sounds like you are already there.
Oh my God! Forgive me. After my ,morning 'feeding frenzy' here, I try to pop back here and checking on the posts throughout the day...I can never catch up, but... I just read your post...and I am sick...While the topic of atrocities is so ofter abstract...in times like these, monsters thundering down on us, the atrocities once before are before us... they are no longer abstract. Your comment slaps me in the face, and shames me for allowing too much fade into 'the abstract'...but perhaps we must, maybe we could not handle it if every day we dove deep into the millions of stories...I follow the Auschwitz memorial on Twitter @AuschwitzMuseum; the stories pierce me, I try to stay in touch with the horrors... Your post takes me into another dark cave...is this literally a story that happened? If not I am sure there are so many others... and worse.... Please tell me where to learn more...
Cynthia, I have worked with warriors with PTSD. And I love that you did not turn away from the horror that Pat revealed here. Our warriors need us to "witness" their pain. It is gut-wrenching experiences like he just described that our soldiers have to bear alone. Or numbest out with substances. I do not know Pat's full story, but I do know he has more, like you said. Those who can handle these stories and sit with our grieving men and women thrust into situations in war that no human can prepare for are rare. They need us to listen. We need do nothing, but just listen with open ears and an open heart. Pat, was incredibly brave to make that post, and this war we face is also not healthy for our wounded warriors who have to watch or remember atrocities that never should have been.
Pat, my husband is a Vietnam Vet now suffering the worst of PTSD that I have ever seen. I have only been privy to 3 instances that happened to him but those 3 were enough to make me sob. Putin is Ho Chi Minh. May he and his cohorts meet their fate soon, without nuclear weaponry.
Pat, I went to a Vietnam Wives group there for 10 years. Then they stopped it. Our fabulous facilitator led the only all African American soldiers group in the country. They called themselves “Helen’s Boys”. They stopped that one too. I am headed back, in fact on Thursday afternoon, to another vet center. It’s in-person so it will be interesting to actually be with others. My husband has a psychiatrist and a therapist through the VA. He does not want to get medical through them, just the mental health. He will be starting a CBT class on the 7th. Thank you for your concern!!
I was 14 when the war ended, just fyi. I remember listening every morning to the school loudspeaker because: The announcer would always announce the dead brothers of kids still in school that were not coming home. One day, the school Superintindent's son name was announced.
Your war, and what you saw, did not have to be and you did not have to see what you saw. Also, assigning your horror to Ho Chi Minh is not necessarily appropriate since I am positive he did not torture the children although I am equally certain that he was willing to do anything to win against America.
Pat, Vietnam, today, is a garden spot for wealthy American vacationers yes?
Just imagine if we had never decided to take up the French's failed cause of maintaining colonialism??
Where would you have been on that day when you saw those children instead?
I suggest you read a few more books. You haven't got it quite right. I say that having just completed two books on Vietnam. Close, but the popular antiwar position about Vietnam was only slightly more accurate than the prowar position.
With respect: the "pro war position" was a ridiculous and fraudulent scam perpetrated by a military industrial complex that Ike warned us about. North Vietnam was no threat to us. Diem of the South was no saviour of democracy - he was a crook.
The "domino theory" had as much validity as WMDs had for Iraq. The Vietnamese were at odds with China - this was not Korea.
There were atrocities by both sides. But we were the invaders - the aggressors as it were. It was then that we began to lose our moral ground in the world.
The egos of two Presidents and the lies from the front extended the nightmare.
The lies that our presidents and the military told us during the Vietnam years was horrible! McNamara and Westmoreland stand out to me to be the worst perpetrators of continuing the war. The US manufacturers of cigarettes, magazines, alcohol, etc…profited like crazy. Like the song says “War, what is it go for? Absolutely NOTHING!”.
Thanks. The truth should not hurt. If, upon arriving at the truth, you feel pain, then, that means you previously were not aware of said truth, or worse, believed a lie.
In the case of America's militarism, we should all be more than well aware of what the US has wrought in the name of military contractor profits.
It seems that Putin enjoys killing. Look at his past. Chechnya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine. In Syria, he helped Assad destroy his own country. There is some evidence that Putin, not Chechnyan terrorists as Putin claimed, bombed the apartment buildings in Russia (discussed in this week's This American Life radio program.) If Putin is not invading one country that doesn't want him, he's helping others bomb their own countries.
Russia will move nuclear weapons into Belarus. Russia can already bomb Ukraine from Russia, so why move nuclear weapons into Belarus? There are only two reasons to use Belarus as a base for nuclear weapons: to bomb the entirety of Ukraine or the West. But Putin could already send long-range nuclear weapons from Russia to bomb Ukraine.
Putin's thinking might be, if he can't have Ukraine, he'll render it radioactive so that Ukrainians can't use the soil for farming. He'll destroy Ukraine, same as he helped Assad destroy Syria.
I heard that Putin is on the other side of the Ural Mountains - is this to shield him from radiation? Or is he just trying to intimidate the West? Or is he scared that his own people will get to him?
I’m curious. The Russians went for Chernobyl right away. Not sure whether they hold it still or don’t. But wouldn’t that site, alone and un- defended, still be a launching pad for random nuclear damage?
I don't know. The last I heard is that they've taken the workers at Chernobyl hostage. I don't know if it can be used as a launching pad for nuclear damage.
I hope he doesn't succeed. He's like a preschooler having a tantrum. Can't have something that doesn't belong to him so he'll run around the class destroying everyone else's toys.
It is unquestionable that Ukraine and its people were more closely associated with Russia only one week ago than they are today. Putin has not won any "hearts and minds" in Ukraine as a result of his brutal invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have demonstrated unquestionably that they will strongly continue to resist becoming simply a Russian vassal state.
The invasion of Ukraine by Putin's (not the Russian people's) army has alienated not only Ukrainians, but all of Europe and the Western Alliance against Russia. The sanctions are crippling the Russian economy and will anger the Russian people, many of whom will come to realize this is Putin's war and Putin's folly, not their own.
You know, for the longest time I did not realize that TFG was meant to be "the former guy" and I thought it meant "the fat guy." The Lard of Mar-a-Lardo certainly is some piece of work. I will wait with a "worm on my tongue" (baited breath) to see how long before he lives to regret calling Putin a "genius" and his invasion "smart."
The world will be destroyed by humans in one of these; 1. Climate change or 2. Nuclear war. We are told the extinction clock is now 100 seconds to midnight. It's well past time that we need to all cooperate to prevent this. Dr. Strangelove may not be fiction.
Thanks for your clear argument, David, but I'm afraid nuclear disarmament will never happen. The decades long buildup of nukes was based on fear--fear of not having as many bombs as the next guy--and resulted in collective insanity. And with the largest nuclear arsenal in existence, the United States cannot credibly point fingers at bad actors who now have nuclear capability. After all, we are the only nation on Earth that has used these weapons of mass destruction.
In the sweep of history, mankind has used every weapon ever invented, except for ICBM's. It is a mathematical certainty that one day they will be used. Whether or not we acknowledge the coming apocalypse, especially in the face of more and more deranged leaders with their fingers on the button, is of little use. Even if the world makes nuclear weapons illegal, there will always be an Iran or N. Korea with nukes in hiding ready to strike.
Randy, I understand your point of view, but I cannot accept there is nothing that can be done. Highly likely is not "mathematical certainty". I will keep hoping for the few years I have left.
I'd like to see nukes go the way of Mustard gas, use of which is a categorical war crime, punishable in world courts. I too was around in the 1960s when we talked about deterence and treaties. Past is present. Need to do something remains. Have to restart the conversation with the progeny of that movement then in the now against the backdrop of a real war between democratic aspirations and baser authoritarian tribalism. Need eventually gets addressed, if not satisfied.
H.A., I think you are bit too sure that you have found the TRUTH about nukes. It is absolutely true that any non-nuclear nation inclined to attack or invade a nuclear nation has to think twice. And so far, since Nagasaki in 1945, no nation has fired a nuke at another, so it appears having nukes is foolproof insurance against nuclear attack, and thus far the facts bear it out. 77 years of good luck. I mean, we haven't even taken out Kim Jong-Un yet, and he's been asking for it for a long time, no?
But, I think your argument falls apart quickly the moment one nation actually fires a nuke at another nuclear armed nation. In fact, it falls apart if one nation merely threatens to fire a nuke, as Putin has done in the last few days, because it places his adversaries (me, Joe Biden, you -- I imagine -- and millions of other truly innocent people) in the uncomfortable position of having to either accept that the Russian Army can rape its neighbor with impunity or dust off our nukes and get them ready to fire at a moment's notice.
So there we are, Putin is aiming at us, and we're aiming at him, but we don't really trust him not to pull the trigger, and he sure doesn't trust us either, so.... we have to negotiate. WHEW! Thank God!
But what if Putin happens to have a psychotic episode -- he is under terrible pressure -- and says to himself "Screw it, what do I care? Fuck everybody and the planet they rode in on!" and then pushes the button?
Or maybe Putin is just being crazy like a fox and fires a little eeny-weenie teeny-tiny tactical nuke at a semi-abandoned Ukrainian military target, thinking just one will do the trick because all those snotty Americans and their Western European lackeys are a bunch of sissies and closet hippies afraid to take on a real macho man like him, and they will just piss their pants before risking nuclear holocaust.
But of course we are not sissies. And while we may not really want to end life on Earth as we know it, we sure as hell are not intending to have to worry about this Putin lunatic for even one more hour, so we send a clever drone with an eencie-weencie -- but truly nasty missile -- to take out Putin, thus avoiding having to lower ourselves to his tactically nuclear level, but the missile screws up, Putin survives and... then what? What would Putin do? I don't know. Do you? Isn't Armageddon one of the top two or three most likely results?
Doesn't look like defense or even deterrence to me. Looks more like total insanity.
Total insanity and an accident waiting to happen or maybe not an accident. I know half of everyone here will argue with me. But, There is nothing good about nuclear energy or weapons. In January, the Bulletin set the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight it has ever been.
Now we see Putin threatening to use nuclear weapons. We have already seen nuclear accidents including Chernobyl cause irreversible harm and death. Nuclear attack is supposed to be a deterrent. But in the hands of a madman, an “unstable genius” the end of the world is a real possibility. The clock is ticking. We are at our most dangerous threat ever.
I just read your scenario and congratulate you on creative thinking. I think you will have a blockbuster novel if you expand it only a little and provide an alph male hero as part of the story!
Assuming we are all still here to read it that is.
Maybe, but to quote a line from a Kingston Trio song "until someone sets a spark off, and we will all be blown away." I think it was called "The Merry Minuet."
Well said. If for no other recent experience than 2016 to 2020 when almost all those nuclear weapons were within hands reach of demented world leaders. Talk about bungee jumping with an unhinged line.
We need to ask our senators and representative to establish a NO FLY ZONE over Ukraine and warn Russia that any Russian plane flying over Ukraine will be shot down. Zelinskiy is right - we can't allow this aggression to continue. Russia will be placed on notice, and will have the option of choosing to not fly over Ukraine, or of having its planes shot down if they fly over Ukraine. Please contact your Congressional representatives.
While I am a very strong supporter of the Ukrainian people in their time of need. My goodness, I even have friends and family who are Ukrainian and even now fighting bravely for the preservation of their country. The U.S. or NATO proclaiming and enforcing a No Fly Zone over Ukraine at present is a catastrophically bad idea. Please understand that a No Fly Zone is not a magic umbrella that would prevent Russian planes (it airforce and military helicopters) from flying in Ukraine. A No Fly Zone declaration is essentially a declaration that U.S. and or NATO aircraft will shoot down Russian planes and helicopters. This is essentially a declaration of war. It would take the U.S. and Europe closer to the brink of a nuclear war with an unhinged and highly questionable, perhaps even insane, leader of the opposition. I think it is unlikely to bring a resolution to the current crisis and only raise the danger level to an unstable and highly dangerous peak. Let's see if we can't think a bit more rationally than the insane despot we face on the other side ... sorry, at the far end of the long, long, long table.
Excellent point, David, about the failure of the world to deal with nuclear weapons, and the vast importance of that single issue.
Over the decades since the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, the mention of those atomic bombs revolved around whether it was necessary or not to drop those bombs on Japan; whether or not we could have ended the war otherwise (e.g., invading Japan or putting it under siege). To me, the primary issue is that we (especially in the U.S.) failed to understand the significance of the nuclear bombs. In the exuberance of finishing WWII, We failed to appreciate how serious the nuclear age would be for the world. We should have learned, but governments are slow-learners in this regard. The United Nations was created at the end of WWII while the U.S. was the most powerful nation on earth. It was up to us to make the future issue of nuclear weapons a priority. But, the cold war started a couple of years later, and the Iron Curtain went up, and it was never accomplished. So it goes.... So we go....
The West is at fault ? For supporting Ukraine’s desire to their own freedom? For discouraging criminal kleptocracies from taking over their neighbors? For preventing Putin and TFG from establishing greater oligarch centric autocracies in the world? No, the West is at fault because after TFG was replaced, we ( collective countries we) are standing up to the global bully living on insane street
“Oh, if we never challenge him, he might be satisfied with terrorizing one of our classmates but not us”
What Putin fears is his own loss of control. This is what TFG fears as well
The West doesn’t want Russia, it wants stability under the rule of law, not Gangsters robbing and pillaging
You statement seems odd or at least a little ignorant and doesn't line up with the harsh resistance the Russian army is currently facing. If 50% of Ukraine identified with Russia as a whole they wouldn't exactly be fighting so hard for their own country. If you did yourself a favor and listened and read about history you'd see that Ukrainians were ostracized by Russians for so many years, lost 3.5 million folks under the Stalin years, and the Russian government tried to ban people speaking Ukrainian for years and attempted to make them 2nd class citizens.
If they identify with Russia so much then did they vote to leave Russia in 1991, and kicked out a pro Putin puppet and ever since then they've been doing better Financially and the people have been happier? The truth is a little bit more nuanced. You are trying to make this a simple problem that can be explained but it is way more complicated. At the end of the day, if you enter another country unprovoked because you are afraid of what may happen in the future, and you didn't even really give diplomacy a chance because you were being intellectually dishonest or purposely ambiguous. Plus Putin can't tell other countries to leave Nato, and before this year there wasn't a real chance that Ukraine was going to join Nato or the EU in a couple years. Putin doesn't run the entire continent of Europe, none of those countries was trying to invade or take over Russia.
And to add to your comment: NATO was formed to keep Russia in check. Look at the countries who have now aligned themselves with the EU and NATO’s present stances. Let’s hopefully, back Putin into a corner where he cannot make any moves. Let him dispose of himself before he does that to others.
?? Half of Ukraine identifies with Russia, or Putin. Which is it? Its hard to believe that half of the Ukrainian people want Russian Oligarchy as their model. Which half didn’t vote overwhelmingly for Zelensky?
In this article, Michael McFaul and Robert Person explain that this isn’t about NATO for Putin, it is about his fear of a flourishing democracy in Ukraine:
No one knows better than Putin that Ukraine is a long way from being accepted into NATO or the E.U. it doesn’t meet the most basic requirements. Putin has overplayed the Russian paranoia card. Either he wants Ukraine’s natural resources or in his humorless way has decided that Ukraine must be punished for electing a Jewish comedian president and must be taught that life is death and destruction. If Putin really believes that Ukraine is the heart and soul of Russia he would follow it into the future instead of trying to pull it back into the past.
It's insane that people have to leave their homes and lives because some dictator wants their land because he has illusions of a unified slavic people. So - who's next? Czechoslovakia? The Czechoslovakian language is also slavic.
After calling them "brothers," he shoots them and destroys their homes. Why is this even allowed in today's day and age? He is a terrorist and should be stopped immediately. People should not have to suffer because he wishes to impose his views on others.
If the average Russian citizen had EU status they'd be better off financially and have more civil freedom. Let's not confuse Russia and Putin. NATO is a defensive alliance, if Russia hadn't been conducting military operations on their neighbors in their region for the last 25 years then maybe more countries wouldn't feel the need to join. You don't have to like NATO or the EU, however to blame the EU or NATO for this when they haven't invaded Ukraine or killed any of their citizens is a little naïve. Seems a bit like victim blaming. I personally think all world leaders are guilty of war crimes and both the East and West conveniently blame each other while committing atrocities. However in this case, it seems pretty clear that Putin is in the wrong here and can't blame anyone but himself.
That view is turned around, and part of Putin's cool-aid. The purpose of NATO is not to wage aggression in the world, but to keep the world at peace. No one is pushing NATO eastward. Eastward countries seek to be in NATO to protect themselves from Russia. Russia is the aggressor. Not NATO.
Here's a question: Have (presumably) the US and Europe's wealthy west been pushing NATO eastward since the end of the Cold War, or have former Soviet satellite states and republics been begging to be included in Nato as protection against being unwillingly sucked back into Putin's version of the Russian Empire? Strikes me as logical that autocrat/kleptocrat Putin would prefer not to have liberal democracies backed up against Russia, showing off and having fun while ordinary Russians are just slogging through their usual dreary lives and keeping their heads down. Guess it really got to him, in fact. Figured he needed a war.
Is the US menacing Mexico or just trading with Mexico and being a pretty good neighbor most of the time? Our relations with Mexico are probably better than any of China's relations with its neighbors. Does the US have territorial ambitions in eastern Europe (or anywhere else, for that matter)? The Monroe Doctrine is pretty specific to the Americas, and it's been a few years since we last threw our weight around. Have we sent the Marines to Venezuela anytime lately? Must have missed that. Is Cuba our 51st state yet? No? And who's running Cile these days? What? really? How cool.
Ukraine left Russia's obit long ago, If there is an authority on the subject who you wish to recommend, it would helpful to include a link. It may not be difficult for interested subscribers to find t ourselves. Thank you.
So there is some sense in which the "West is at fault". On the other hand, there's no question that Ukrainians don't want to be united with or enveloped by Russia and that Putin's war is unjustified; only that the Western countries seem to have gone back on their word offered to Gorbachev in 1990. Here are the first few lines of the article:
Washington D.C., December 12, 2017 – U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s famous “not one inch eastward” assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, was part of a cascade of assurances about Soviet security given by Western leaders to Gorbachev and other Soviet officials throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991, according to declassified U.S., Soviet, German, British and French documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (http://nsarchive.gwu.edu).
P.S. I haven't watched the lecture by Mearsheimer, but I just noticed that it was given in 2015. I will watch it when I have time. (Despite being retired for 20 years, I don't seem to have a spare moment.)
We are still here. Kyiv is not surrounded. Kharkiv has not fallen neither has Mariopel. Munitions coming in from Europe. Special ops veterans from America and Britain coming to join the Foreign battalion. Tanya says the French Foreign Legion Ukrainians are on their way. Those guys fight like Chechens. Russians really pouring it on today, now targeting civilians more and more.
We have been on blackout here two nights. I mean black. No light of any kind. I learned I cannot find my ass with both hands in the dark
The phrase "those guys fight like Chechens" made me smile. thanks, Allen. Stay safe. Putin is, indeed, at his most dangerous when he is really scared. My hope is that someone does in fact put something in his tea--and soon.
I have to remember to drink my coffee BEFORE reading some of the comments here! Thanks for the laughs; grateful you still have power and can keep us updated as to your status. The local Ukrainian-American community (13,000+) here in the Twin Cities have been posting updates too. So many heartening stories of courage against unbearable odds. We are with you- hope you can stay safe.
Here’s the trick… before stumbling into something while trying to find your ass, give it 10-15 seconds when you get up before moving. Look around. Tune your other senses to the dark. Close your eyes while you do this.
Used to use this exercise with kids when we learned about our senses.
Allen, My sense from listening to several of the USA's most experienced top military brass is that the next 48 hrs. to be hell in major cities in Ukraine. Protect yourself and family as best you can. Opinion is Putin off the rails. We are going to anxious to hear from you tomorrow. Heart to heart.
Back in Army basic training at Fort Dix, I recall recruits were trained how to do things in the dark. Close your eyes tightly for about ten or fifteen seconds, slowly open them and voila, you have a bit of night vision.
That reminded me, that when I was having a bad dream when I was a kid, I would close my eyes tightly and when I opened them I was awake, don’t ask me how I figured that out while I was in the midst of that bad dream, because….
Oh, Allen! It's nice to hear from you and know you have not lost your sense of humor. I continue to watch for your posts, and continue to marvel at you , Tanya, and Lucky and your bravery. It mirrors the whole of Ukraine and your fight for freedom. BTW, your ass is on the backside!
So relieved that you can still post, Allen. I even ask my students to keep you, Tanya and Lucky in their hearts -- we speak about Ukraine every day. 🇺🇦❤️🇺🇦❤️🇺🇦 Sending you strength.
Every post from you gives me hope for Ukraine. I don't know where or how you are getting news or access to the internet, but in today's news here in the US about the attacks on Kharkiv, we also learned that Russia and Belarus and their athletes are now banned from playing international soccer, from participating in any Olympic activities and yesterday the Russian ballet was dropped from performing anywhere. We learned that Sputnik and the other main Russian "news" source are banned, that Anonymous took down the official government website. Now, soldiers from around the world are being allowed to fight with Ukrainians, as individuals not as members of any "official" military from any country. Stay safe, friend.
Thank you for updating us, Allen. It’s a relief to know you and family are ok. It all is beyond imagination. Hoping this violence and war against the Ukrainian people ends soon, for you, for Ukraine and the world. Stay safe.
I would think that they are arriving from all over the place, if I was 20 years younger and in better health I would already be there. It would be an honor to fight for the Ukraine 🇺🇦 and when all of this is over you watch how much the Ukraine honors them. Remember Lafayette and the park named for him directly across from the WH, he left a comfortable life in France to come help us with our revolution, nations don’t forget help like that. Any way any of us can help the Ukrainians we should be doing it, they deserve our full support.
That is how I feel. I am frustrated that I can't help even locally but my wife and step son would knock me out and drag me home. I would likely be in the way but I can load trucks and stuff
Allen, so glad you are still with us and letting us know what's actually happening. I do appreciate the fact that you still have a sense of humor too. As the poster belong says I do hope someone puts something in Putin's tea. Stay safe.
I certainly hope that Lardo Lardass, Jefe of Mar A Lardo, continues to support his buddy Putin. The attack ads this fall write themselves, and there he is, on tape, committing his treason. If I was the GOP I would think now that victory in November for our fascist fuckwits might be as elusive in the US as victory in February is in Ukraine for the Russian version. Get the tape of MTG this past weekend at the Nuremberg rally, with the Nazis shoulding for Putin, and play that - "Is this who you want running our country?"
How are you, Allen? MSNBC reporter Matt Bradley left Dnipro for L'viv following air raids. Wishing you safety!
The whole world has wrapped itself in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, from landmark buildings and bridges, to Niagara Falls, to individual homes, to spectators at sporting events.
The rouble fell already by 30% this morning on opening and individual companies are offering deals to get foreign currency at half the going rate as the Russian Central Bank can nolonger supply.
Surely you're old enough to remember Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL7XS_8qgXM Looking forward seeing Ukrainians chasing many Russian soldiers into the Black Sea.
Wow! “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton. I always liked the part with the alligator. Maybe the ‘gator could be Trump in Lynell’s version of the song.
No offense taken. I love your comment and I have fond memories of the song. I was 7 in 1959 and had just received a small transistor radio for Christmas when Horton's rendition was #1 on the charts.
One of the doubtful military escapades that gave Jackson his presidency (along with chasing the spanish remnants from Florida) when he attacked the British forces after peace had been declared.
The Brits didn't know and actually were attacking the Americans. The Americans forted up behind cotton bales and let them come. Wave after wave. The Scottish Highlanders were brave. Their leaders should have been shot.
Stuart Neither the British nor the Americans in New Orleans knew that a tentative peace had been declared [Packet boats were much slower than the Internet in bringing the news]. The British were glorious in their handsome red uniforms marching straight into withering cannon and sniper fire. General Jackson and his Lafite swamp rats had a turkey shoot.
It was such a stupid British military debacle that it deserved a ‘Charge of the Light Brigade-‘ type poem (which glorified a stupid and deadly British attack in the Crimean War’ to honor the many Brits who were ordered to their depth.
Every 50 years or so the English "gentleman's" army made a habit of this to prove their "utility"😂. Professional armies are not so foolhardy and tend to keep their intended objectives in mind and not just their " honour"
Going from Canada to Saratoga (when our good buddy Bennie Arnold saved the American bacon) General Burgoyne had about 30 wagons for his personal needs, including crystal and silver candles. I don’t believe that these proved useful in fighting the uncouth rebels.
Stuart Ah, the joys of revisionist history. Arthur Schlinger’s 1945 book on the age of Jackson had only one very minor reference to Native Americans. In the Trail of Tears, the Seminoles took about 2,000 slaves with them and, according to documented accounts of the journey, the army tried to care for all of the folks. About 900, including army members, died, often from disease—the old and very young were the most vulnerable. Some Seminole leaders paid homage to Jackson during this trip. Back in Florida during his hard-tack military campaign, at one time Jackson’s ‘army’ included a considerable number of Native Americans. When they were hungry, they are beans and nuts and farted most loudly. If you fart together isn’t this ‘togetherness?’
For political stupidity Biddle of the National Bank won the biscuit. He heavily financed ads attacking Jackson for HIS desire to eliminate the books. Evidently voters overwhelmingly
I am calling it Putin´s war rather than Russia´s war. Here where I live, Russians and Ukrainians created a Ukrainian flag in support of Ukraine and walked together. If more of Russia's military would lay down arms, what a beginning for a new possible world. And, once again, I encourage everyone to repost this letter to all their social media. And one more thing, in yesterday´s NYT a headline was something about Democracy becoming weak and Authoritarianism strong. I am going to write to the NYT and let them know that I will cancel my subscription if they keep having non fact based headlines like this.
I didn't like the article either - but it held many truths. The NYT is not the only outlet to offer sobering information about the rise of authoritarian governments - that democracy is being challenged around the world. The Economist and WAPO have done the same. I take it as a "world wake up call". Democracy around the world IS weakening.
But I do take issue with the drumbeat of articles about Biden's declining popularity and the polls showing low approval numbers. I am disappointed in PBS/NPR for the same reason.
60+% now disapprove of his presidency. But of that 60, how many are progressives who would vote for him again against TFG - but just think the country hasn't made enough progress? The number is a meaningless combination of extremely different opinions. Public thought has never been monolithic - not even at the height of WWII. Much of that Progressive disappointment I think is misplaced blame because they simply don't know how our government works. Congress makes the laws. Duh. We have a razor thin "majority" with 2 Senators who are DINOs.
The point of the article and many others is that the rising tide of freedom and democracy has been replaced by a flood of authoritarian monsters. And all we have to do is look within to see that we as the "beacon" of democracy is a sad, sick joke. We have one half of our own Senate who refuse to condemn the traitors in their own party. They put their political survival ahead of democracy and the rule of law. We have millions of voters who see the other party as literally the "enemy" - like they want us ruined or killed type of enemy.
Is the brilliant resistance to Putin's invasion of Ukraine a turning point? Maybe Zelensky will inspire us even more. Maybe the situation had to get this bad before the "free" world would truly unite on something. Maybe this war will get us to look in the mirror and see the traitors in our midst - standing right behind us with a knife.
I absolutely agree with you. It is because I want so much for democracy to prevail. Thank you for holding me accountable. You sound like someone I would love to have coffees with and listen to.🌷
On another note, if you don't believe how effective 'our voices' are, a tsunami of feedback pushed CNN to cancel the Alex Jones special last night! (What were they thinking?!?)
Welcome to 1984. The Republicans have really stuck their foot in it this time. I didn't think they could get this dumb but now they are praising tRUMP for providing aid to Ukraine apparently forgetting that he was impeached for withholding $400 million in aid to Ukraine to get them to smear Biden and his son. There's no limit to Republicans stupidity fortunately for us.
The republicans are counting on the stunningly short term memory of their supporters. And so far it has worked just fine! The dumbing of the uSA began under Reagan and here we are with a President having provided jobs, security a future, global leadership but with low rating? How come?
Maybe...just maybe, the Dems will get smart and remind people over and over that the rethuglicans have been to fools of tRumps army for a l-o-n-g time.
As Bill Maher said, can the Dems take advantage of an unexpected opportunity. His last blurb sounded like the Dems had won the fight. Not so, their octopus has many arms. Bill has trashed all Dems as being like the “woke” progressives that he runs into. Most are like me, I’ll wager. Just people like me who want an equitable and fair society. When our “friends” act more like enemies, (Foxers), and painting us all with the same ridiculous brush, then we have more problems than republican cult nuts.
Social media has given us a great window into the horrific as well as the honorable acts in Ukraine. A woman threatening a Russian soldier telling him he should be ashamed of what he is doing, said she’s going to give him seeds so flowers will grow where he dies. A woman driving a stranger’s children to their mother and safety, when the father wasn’t allowed to leave the country. The soldiers telling the Russian attack on their island to F**k off. A woman said she’s not leaving because she was going to stay and fight for her country. Talk about courageous strong willed people! I don’t know a single one of them but I’m so proud and impressed by them! They make my daily struggle so insignificant!
One thing about liberal democracies; in the interest of protecting the concept of freedom, they trip all over themselves when it comes to naming and combatting certain kinds of criminal behavior. Perhaps it's the fact that capitalism runs rampant in many liberal societies and swift justice for white-collar crime isn't acceptable. Look at the excruciating difficulty of holding our own corporate cultures to high standards of conduct in this complex, tangled world of international business. The modern Russian oligarchy would not have been possible without the mechanisms in place and places all too willing to accept massive boluses of dirty money and wash it lillywhite through shell corporations, legitimate businesses and the like in international capitals of business around the world. The same easy fluidity that we treasure when we plan our dream vacations in exotic parts of the world enables every manner of criminal behavior in a laissez faire world. Notice how we carefully choose the word "freeze" over the word "seize" when it comes to the assets of the ultra-wealthy. To "seize" would smack of authoritarian tactics, whereas simply freezing suggests that under the right conditions, criminals can keep the spoils of their crimes. Indeed, if all we did were to force the assets out into the open and ship them back to Russia, then the Russian populace could decide how it wants to deal with its leaders, who apparently have robbed the country blind of the majority of its economic lifeblood. What would we do with all those seized super-yachts anyway??? We'd have to face the profound inequality in our own society, where executive paychecks a hundred-fold higher than the average worker aren't nearly enough, so international tax lawyers, offshore holdings, foreign subsidiaries are deployed to manage the assets using the same tactics as the Russian guy whose G5 is parked adjacent at the regional airport in the Hamptons. In many regards we are every bit as corrupt, if somewhat less blatant than those under scrutiny at the moment. Still, our targets for military adventurism have at least had features like cruel dictators, doomsday weapons, opium poppy fields, mass oppression of minorities and the like to justify our modern crusade rhetoric and campaigns. Nevermind that those justifications have often been based on bad intelligence or haven't been sufficiently appreciated by the "liberated" recipients of our benevolent bombings. Ukraine is guilty of...Nazi-ism? Genocide?
There's no such thing as a just war, only a certain nobility in those who resist the aggressor.
Agree so much about capitalism. America is deep in doo doo, along with Russia. Here in Spain, because it is a new democracy, there is a real effort to be transparent. Even the father of the king is on trial for taking a bribe. The king stripped his father of his stipend.
Who's the guy that never apologizes? No, I don't mean Putin. Remember the guy that used to be President of the United States? You know, the one that keeps telling everyone that he won the … Oh, never mind. How much do you want him back in the White House again? If Orange Spectra got in there again, you know he'd do more than flush official government documents down the toilet.
'Former president Donald Trump gave his strongest indication yet that he intends to run in 2024 during a nearly 90-minute speech to supporters on Saturday night that also included continued praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.'
“We did it twice, and we’ll do it again,” Trump told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, falsely claiming again that he won the 2020 election. “We’re going to be doing it again a third time.”
'The former president condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine without denigrating Putin directly, saying it’s “appalling and it’s an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed to occur.” Trump mocked President Biden and NATO allies for punishing Russia with sanctions, saying Putin was “playing Biden like a drum.” He bragged that Putin did not invade any countries during his term and said this invasion would never have happened “if our election was not rigged” — a reference to his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.' (WashingtonPost)
Morning Fern. I most certainly have had enough of that. I posted this late yesterday on HCR’s previous LFAA. Was updating on weekend news and came across this. Have my catch phrase now from the Russian warship story. Applies to the entire band of traitors of democracy.
“Got back on Sunday night and decided to catch up on some coverage from the Conservative Pricks and Asswipes Convention. It’s been difficult containing my glee at how their thunder literally got an ass whoopin’ due to the real news and concern about Ukraine capturing the attention of people around the world. I turned on a local news review and watched one clip of Mr. Trump commenting on the war before his statement about doing things differently. I actually rewatched it to make sure I heard the orange hazard correctly.
‘The problem is not that Putin is smart, which of course he is. The real problem is that our leaders are dumb.’
"We did it twice, and we'll do it again," says he. If he really "did it twice," then he's not eligible for a third term. But facts never stand in his way, nor in the way of those who only watch Faux News and the like.
I had my fill of that when he freaked out about the crowd size in 2017, it had obviously been a fraction of the crowd for Obama. I have run out of adjectives to describe the POS that was our president, even without the descriptor’s the smell remains.
Fern, Trump seems to be able to defy gravity as far as I can tell. So, as I rub my eyes, yet again, in disbelief, I do believe Trump is polling higher than Biden who is actually doing a spectacularly good job.
But, it is not easy to put "good job" into a nice catch phrase like "let's go Brandon".
Fern, I wish I thought Trump was the problem.
But, I don't. He is merely a symptom of the disease and the disease is: Americans.
I have been begging for some positive news and you certainly brought it to the table tonight. Thank you! Knowing that Putin and his pals are being squeezed financially and mentally is delightful. The EU’s commitment to supply Ukraine with whatever it takes to bring the dictator to his knees is a welcomed sight. Let this be a strong lesson to Republicans who sang such obnoxious praise for this madman because there are those of us citizens who are willing to fight them. We will not be silent.
Mind you Margaret Atwood laid it out for them very clearly and it has been all over the cinema and televisio. They just think that it won't happen to them...just to the other.
They understand that their “enemies” (abortionists, leftists, etc) would be forced to toe the party line. Those things they support and see as “right and good” would verily make the sun shine brighter. But their long term vision is about as limited as their attention span. No authoritarian regime will allow the proliferation of firearms. They would be confiscated faster than you could say Democracy … only then, when it affects them, would they realize the error of their ways.
As another indication of democracy finally getting the upper hand, British journalist Carole Cadwalla did an expose on Russian elitist oligarch's investments in Great Britain that connect dots between Putin, Trump, and GOP. In reaction, she was dragged through a libel suit. At last she is receiving kudos for her reporting.
Thanks for the Cadwalla piece, Elie, although the photo is from 2017 when she was trying to fund her Presidential campaign after the refusal of the French banks to do for her what they did for every other candidate.....lend money. I don't support her but a large minority of the French voters did in that election.
ENABLERS like pompeo, trump, lindsey graham, marjorie taylor greene, bobbert…essentially ANY trump/maga republican needs to sit under scrutiny to account for their misplaced allegiance(s). Be they public or private citizens all bad and unscrupulous actors should be called upon for their words and deeds.
My point being…****United States citizens**** should be entirely held accountable for their pro-putin sentiments as expressed in their sycophantic adoration for trump. It’s not foreigners only, but and especially citizens of America who need a lesson in citizenship.
Thanks, Heather for alerting us to the importance of this historical moment. I'm hoping it is not the beginning of the end of history.
Like most people who are even dimly aware of current events, I am horrified and saddened by the truly reckless and gratuitous war Putin has decided to wage against Ukraine, but I am also thrilled and uplifted by the Ukrainians’ courageous defense of their country and of their right to live in a peaceful democracy.
I have even become a fan of President Zelenskyy who, despite earlier being roundly dismissed as a neophyte and a lightweight by many commentators, has clearly mastered the fine art of true leadership under the most trying of circumstances in less than one week. Whatever it is he’s got, it’s extremely rare, and I will be devastated if/when the Russians finely manage to kill him. Putin is such a shit.
I agree with Biden’s calm and firm way of dealing with what he surely saw from the beginning as a crossroads in history and a moment of extreme danger for all of humanity.
And, I am also impressed with how quickly most of the world’s leaders have rallied around to support Ukraine and NATO and apply sanctions to Russia, even though they know that these will greatly complicate their attempts to solve all the other problems they already have on their over-filled plates. They understand that our continued existence as a species is at stake and that Putin’s behavior cannot go unpunished. And normally at this point in my rant, I would say, “Of course, global warming is the real elephant in the room.”
But, no. The elephant, the really big one, is the world’s collective failure to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons in the 77 years since our -- and the world's -- first and last use of atomic bombs in anger. I read today that the USA and Russia still have something like 12,000 nuclear weapons between them, with many more belonging to China, India, Great Britain, France, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and perhaps Iran by now. Did I leave anyone out? My apologies.
Am I wrong, or hadn’t we all pretty much decided that once the Berlin Wall had fallen and some Russians had discovered how much fun capitalism could be, we could just not worry about nukes as much as we used to back in the good old days of duck-and-cover and Dr. Strangelove? Does everyone realize how close we all are to human extinction as a bitter, twisted, frustrated and possibly mad-as-a-hatter Putin ups the ante day by day, coyly hinting that we may soon see something extraordinary and unimaginable if we continue to torment him with threats of sanctions as he rapes his peaceful, hopeful democratic neighbor?
Now, as if to make amends for his coyness, he has put his nuclear defense forces on “alert”. And after the alert, what is there, a loud warning of some sort? Sirens, perhaps? Or are we totally depending on some senior Russian minister or general to be Putin’s “adult in the room” when the great would-be tsar and judo champion stands on the button while blowing out his own brains? Will he leave the “recall” codes scribbled on his long desk? Does hair-trigger nuclear readiness even allow for recall codes anymore?
I think if we – all of us – survive this Ukraine crisis, and Putin is given a graceful way to back down while blaming all the anguish on us, which is to say everyone, and some wiser heads in the Kremlin can push him into early retirement or make him "disappear" by other means, sooner rather than later, then our first order of business -- after downing something sternly alcoholic and taking to our beds for a week – should be to somehow gather all the world’s leaders together and convince them to agree to universal nuclear disarmament.
No. MAD has kept reasonably sane US and Russian leaders from destroying our world, but it has not led to our creation of a better world in which war is never the answer. No. Limits are not good enough. No country or individual can be trusted with nukes. Ban. Eliminate.
If we, as a species, wish to continue to exist – at least for a while -- we just have to get this done.
Right on the button, David -- and I am not being funny. This is no joke. Someone in Putin's entourage must see the madness in his words and deeds. Surely, he can't be surrounded by pure evil.
Immanuel Kant once said: "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and more steadily one reflects upon them: the starry skies above me and the moral law within me." These words are also etched on his tombstone. I like to think that a moral law lives within us all and that, ultimately, it will prevail.
Or perhaps, the "past is not even past" and this threat is what we need to ban nuclear weapons forever. I certainly hope so!
Heather, deep thanks to you for another brilliant and highly informative letter!
Thanks Rowshan, that's a great epitaph. The Cuban missile crisis pushed us in the right direction, but not far enough. Maybe the Ukraine crisis will get us over the top.
According to a documentary of the cuban crisis JFK agreed to remove the nuclear missiles from eastern Europe in exchange for the Russian withdrawal, only that it should be in secret. It seems it has been so secret that it never took place: The missiles in Turkey were used by ISIS as a "protected" entrance to Syria. You might also remember Turkey suddenly shooting down a Russian fighter jet on the border to Syria. I thought that was because it came too close to the US missiles. New missiles were placed i Poland during a media shadow from Israel attacking Gaza. I think we need to know this to understand the fury of Russia. The withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from eastern Europe is as legitimate as Cuba not hosting such missiles.
I agree, we should not have nuclear missiles in eastern Europe. You would think there is room for negotiation on this, but only with a Russia willing to respect the legitimate rights of neighboring states like Ukraine.
Unfortunately Russia has again demonstrated that it is unable to negotiate. Like a psychopath, Putin will make statements to calm the enemy, and then use that lull to escalate and move forward with his original intentions which, in this case, are to destroy Ukraine unless it submits to Putin's will.
Today's column by Greg Olear discusses the Russian/Putin mindset. The Russian dictator only understands an iron fist, and believes it is entitled to anything it can take. Much of the West doesn't get this. NATO was created to keep the world safe from Russian aggression.
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/index-putin-with-a-thousand-faces?utm_source=url
As my dad used to say, the iron curtain wasn't constructed to keep the world out of USSR, it was built to keep its unwilling citizens in.
Yes, of course. Ironically though it might happen if the US has gotten a president in 2024 as savage as the one in Russia!
Maybe the missile *sites* were used by ISIS, but the missiles were long gone, and if they weren't, they'd have been 60 year old museum pieces.
German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer reported this from a tour with ISIS in 2015: "Inside IS". ISIS considered it safer to pass this part of the Turkish/Syrian border, safer from being bombed. The age of the missiles would not be of importance in that case, but maybe the superstitions of ISIS or the ignorance of Syria was. I never heard of any explanation for Turkey shooting down a Russian fighter jet, they were not supposed to fight each other, but it might of course just have passed the border. The missiles in Poland were added when Poland had become a member of Nato, which was just what Putin had been concerned about with the expansion of Nato, and claimed he had been promised there would be no nukes. First time I noticed the use of media shadow.
Good morning, dear Rowshan. Not sure why comments are deleting as fast as posted. Let me say again….
That moral law does live within all of us. It is the Light. No matter what the name, someone close to me referenced it as the Holy Spirit this weekend, there is no opposite and not possible to extinguish it.
Salud, Rowshan!
Salud, dear Christine, and Namaste (the god within me greets the god within you). St Paul said: "you are [each] a temple of the Holy Spirit."
Yes!
It does indeed. When it is exhibited publicly at a point of danger, it is identified as “moral courage” and acts like a beacon to those who bear witness, who in turn find their Holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, moral order does not exist in all of us. Or it may exist. Or it may exist but have been buried by terrible exigencies in one’s life. Or it may exist and the host may be psychologically unable to hear it.
It is a moment of pure collective failure when one man can hold the lives of millions, potentially billions, to his whims or demons.
Regardless of how I try, I cannot see how this ends in a good way. And I find this fear-inducing.
There seems little likelihood of Putin popping up on state media and saying, “Oops. Bad mistake on my part. Sorry folks.”
Russia could overwhelm Kyiv militarily in the next few days to the point that capitulation is the only option for this brave people. But that will only embolden Putin and thus the situation will not have “ended”.
Putin could see the mockery he has made of his ambitions and commit suicide. That is not a common tendency among megalomaniacs.
The Russian people could overthrow Putin. Barely a possibility. But it does exist.
Putin could be assassinated. He’s not a guy who’s out and about much, and by all reports is the paranoid’s paranoid.
The West could actually go to war to support Ukraine. I see this as being the most negligible chance of all. Unless…Putin uses tactical nuclear weapons to subdue Ukraine. At that point, all bets are off for our survival as a species.
To be honest, my mind keeps coming back to nuclear weapons. The more Kyiv succeeds in resisting, the more likely it is that the madman will act this out. The more the world turns against Russia and tears at the deeply wounded bear the more likely becomes the nuclear option for Trump.
But there is the Holy Spirit or its equivalent in other religions. I persist in this belief. And perhaps people, imbued with this, will find a solution that falls well short of doomsday. We are at the most dangerous point in my lifetime and I lived through the Cuban missile crisis. That looked like nuclear brinksmanship, but the historical record shows that Krushchev had given orders weeks before for his commanders to turn around if blockaded.
This the moment folks.
Here here!
Wow! Thanks!
A variation on this prayer was asked of me recently. Driving to and from a solo gig, I invariably pass a confederate style compound. Normally I have a well healed negative reaction. A couple of weeks ago, I heard a still small voice ask me to pray for them as I drove by. So I did - asking the Spirit of God to settle upon their place and their souls - come what may. Gotta say, this action cleared some crud out of my soul.
Wow, that is an incredible inner transformation. It requires love, for self and other. Not always easy to get there. Thank you for sharing, Jean-Pierre!
I’m not remotely close to “there” yet - though efforts can provide epiphanies.
I'm really going to work on this... I stumbled away from the Catholic Church over the last 5 decades, but my belief in the Holy Spirit was my guiding light for most of my adult life.. I had even forgotten about that (her) ..I guess it just faded away? I am beckoning her back... she just might be eager to do some 'grace sharing'!
“Imagine”
I don’t think Putin is necessarily surrounded by evil people as he is fearful people… which also sums up our own faction … though they have manufactured their fear … they haven’t witnessed pedophilia, though they believe that is what their opponents are doing. Their manufactured fears are irrational and unbelievable, but that’s their stance.
And, as they say, 'Money doesn't talk, it SCREAMS!'
As does ambition of great Power.
Seems that I remember a 60 Minutes show in which the Russians asked the US for help in securing some of their nukes from rogue actors. Our congress, including arsehole Tom Delay refused. Maybe I’m old and dreamed that up, but I remember thinking that this will come back to bite us.
Jeri, in that case Delay had a perfect name, don't you think?
Indeed, and I thought he and Hastert were the worst they could conjure up. Silly me
Thanks for sharing the timeless wisdom of Kant.
Hmmm, "Surely, he can't be surrounded by pure evil."? Will these events open the eyes of the "pure evils" surrounding tfg?
Thank you Rowshan. This moment seems to be bringing a moral clarity. And it brings the threat of nurclear weapons forcefully to new generations. May the moral law awaken more! Hopefully someone in Putins entourage will see the light so to speak. The oligarchs are awakening also!
Peace and Courage.
Thank you for this!
“… the starry skies above me and the moral law within me.“ :’-)
Thank you also Rowshan. I'd never heard of Kant, but his words are soothing to the hyperempathy we all are experiencing
Exactly. GA Senator Sam Nunn knew this well and called for it and spent his life working for it. It we clear this crisis — and it is the GIANT elephant, gorilla, viper, exploding virus, scorching end-of-time-death-wish in the room — it is time to truly lay down arms and pound these death scythes into plowshares. The nuclear threat is real and I feel it. My central nervous system is ragged, as is that of most of the world. That we would survive this madman’s ego trip, after we survived DJT’s ego trip, would be, I hope, the sign we need to cherish the Earth and each other. And to stop allowing greedy and corrupt plutocrats to continue to exploit and destroy humanity and our fragile island home.
I so admired Sam Nunn. It was a bleak day when he left the Senate.
Indeed. What a brilliant man.
We could call him back into action now!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Nunn
Sorry, but Putin sounding the alert to his nuclear forces is a confession of failure and a non-story otherwise. What’s he going to do with them? He’s an arrogant bastard and megalomaniacal, but I have seen no evidence of suicidal ideation, for himself or his country.
What we need to do now is to find a way for him to climb down without having to commit hara kiri. Leave him to his own people.
No graceful exit for Putin this time. He needs to fall out a window, be gunned down in the street or be poisoned - or - they could just lock him in that room with the big table, forever, a la Ivan IV.
I hear he's a germaphobe.
Either he can't stand them or they can't stand him? I also loved the other image of him at one end of a very long carpet with his ministers huddled at the other end. Dominate much?
He’s terrified of Covid, which is rampant in Russia. He is trying to keep himself from getting it. Meanwhile, Russian citizens, with little concern for themselves, protest in the streets and are hauled off to God-knows what kinds of tortures.
Or the long table could simply be another phallic compensation thing.
Or maybe both. Yep.
It’s both.
Or male domination . Is that the same as phallic?
Part of his sickness actually... he literally does not want anyone too get close to him! Not sure if that started as a covid thing? But I keep hearing respectable sources saying 'he's really lost it'?!
That I would pay money to watch!
Well, Jon, about the same time the first nukes arrive we will know how crazy he is. But, yes, the best thing is to trade a rapid repatriation of the Russian army for a few Europe-based American nukes and let Putin explain what happened in Ukraine to his own people.
Don’t be so sure. The Russians have a much lower bar to using tactical nuclear weapons than we do. And there is growing agreement that this is not the Putin of, say, ten years ago.
they will take no prisoners(s)!
Epstein, in my opinion, did not commit suicide. No one ever really saw the body other than the “coroner”. The last person to see him was Wm. Barr and the two “guards” supposedly watching him, were either inept, asleep, or looked the other way. Sounded very mafioso to me.
We will never know but we can speculate.
David,
As long as the United States exists as the largest and most aggressive military state in the world, nobody outside the USA who has a nuclear weapon will give them up.
Short Story Reason:
Ho Chi Minh, a guy who had watched the French plunder his nation and enslave his people, at one time, decided he had seen more than enough of Colonial rule, exploitation and enslavement.
He began to fight back in what was, in fact, a heroic effort to use an amateur army to bravely defend the honor of his people against French exploitation.
For years he slowly but surely beat the French, who, upon seeing a gun or any threat to themselves, mostly turned and ran. An why not? Their death would not be for a noble cause.
Then? As Ho Chi Minh began to believe that he could free his countrymen from enslavement?? As his people's effort to free themselves from a government of no laws and enslavement began to work and his country came close to breaking the yoke of colonialism by kicking out the French??
Yes. Sir. Reeeee!!!
Here comes the red, white and blue USA, now the largest military in the entire world AND carrying Playboy magazine, a standard issue to American troops!!!! Whoop ass!!
Suddenly, Ho Chi Minh's troops were outnumbered and Vietnamese women were safe nowhere that American troops were stationed.
We all know the end of the story (after more than 25 years of killing, spraying agent orange, raping women and burning villages, and don't forget the secret and illegal bombing of Cambodia, which, is still finding bombs today when a kid gets blown up playing in field).
Finally, beaten, exhausted, and running out of poor American men to draft and waste, the USA pulled OUT of Vietnam.
But, what if Ho Chi Minh had obtained a nuke? And. What if he could have used it on say, NY City?
Seems horrifying does it not? But, would that have helped him avoid the carnage of his own people that we sponsored on his country?
Absolutely yes.
So, don't look for a big NO NUKES movement in the near future because,
the USA is more dangerous today than it was then.
The USA is a borderline rogue state with a possible future run by rogue elements of what used to be the Republican Party but remains the Party of Putin whose lover boy Trump is highly likely to be President in 2024 (Dr. Richardson's optimism nothwithstanding).
not GOP but POP.
I would not give up my nukes (if I had any) now and nobody else will either.
It would be foolhardy. In the extreme.
Mike S., your history is good and your reasoning is sound. Would Ho Chi Minh have launched a nuke at New York if he could have? Your guess is as good as mine. I hope not if he understood that a gesture like that could lead to the general destruction of the human species.
I also agree that the USA is more to blame for the present nuclear terror than any other nation. I mean, we invented the damn things and then used them. But that was then, and I really have no idea how the US would respond if the Russians fired a demonstration nuke into an empty field in Ukraine, or even if the whole Russian nuclear arsenal was coming at us over the North Pole. I would certainly not envy Joe Biden in the few minutes he would have to make a decision.
Thank you for the kind reply David.
The current stalemate in nuclear use appears to be the work of a woman in MI5 who leaked the British nuclear weapon designs to Russia.
Who knows what we would have done if we had been the sole nuclear power on earth for 75 years.
It could have been even uglier on earth after Hiroshima than it was without that MI5 leak.
Thanks to her we had stalemate instead of hegemony.
Oh, Pat. These are the nightmare experiences of soldiers and innocent victims. As as teenager in the 60's. I loved art and used to copy posters that stated "War is not healthy for children and other living things." I still feel that way and do not understand why men choose to be so destructive. As you describe, war brings out the most horrible, tragic and traumatic experiences for everyone involved. I lament the memories of everyone impacted by war, abuse and violence. We can do better. We MUST.
The LIFE magazine picture of the young Vietnamese girl whose clothes were ripped off her fragile little body when we used Napalm to disseminate human beings there, comes to mind. Very few women, if any, conjure up ideas to kill. I too, do not understand the thinking of man.
Yes, it is difficult, but those deeply human scars, when we witness, and yet do not totally shut down from what life throws in front of us, hopefully make us love more and forgive faster. I wish that for you Pat, but it sounds like you are already there.
Oh my God! Forgive me. After my ,morning 'feeding frenzy' here, I try to pop back here and checking on the posts throughout the day...I can never catch up, but... I just read your post...and I am sick...While the topic of atrocities is so ofter abstract...in times like these, monsters thundering down on us, the atrocities once before are before us... they are no longer abstract. Your comment slaps me in the face, and shames me for allowing too much fade into 'the abstract'...but perhaps we must, maybe we could not handle it if every day we dove deep into the millions of stories...I follow the Auschwitz memorial on Twitter @AuschwitzMuseum; the stories pierce me, I try to stay in touch with the horrors... Your post takes me into another dark cave...is this literally a story that happened? If not I am sure there are so many others... and worse.... Please tell me where to learn more...
Don’t learn more. You will not be able to unsee it.
Cynthia, I have worked with warriors with PTSD. And I love that you did not turn away from the horror that Pat revealed here. Our warriors need us to "witness" their pain. It is gut-wrenching experiences like he just described that our soldiers have to bear alone. Or numbest out with substances. I do not know Pat's full story, but I do know he has more, like you said. Those who can handle these stories and sit with our grieving men and women thrust into situations in war that no human can prepare for are rare. They need us to listen. We need do nothing, but just listen with open ears and an open heart. Pat, was incredibly brave to make that post, and this war we face is also not healthy for our wounded warriors who have to watch or remember atrocities that never should have been.
Bless you for working with these vets! I am certain their stories ignite something in you.
Pat, my husband is a Vietnam Vet now suffering the worst of PTSD that I have ever seen. I have only been privy to 3 instances that happened to him but those 3 were enough to make me sob. Putin is Ho Chi Minh. May he and his cohorts meet their fate soon, without nuclear weaponry.
Marlene, go to the VA! They have a mandate. They will help both you and your husband. And thanks. California sent many many men into that conflict.
Pat, I went to a Vietnam Wives group there for 10 years. Then they stopped it. Our fabulous facilitator led the only all African American soldiers group in the country. They called themselves “Helen’s Boys”. They stopped that one too. I am headed back, in fact on Thursday afternoon, to another vet center. It’s in-person so it will be interesting to actually be with others. My husband has a psychiatrist and a therapist through the VA. He does not want to get medical through them, just the mental health. He will be starting a CBT class on the 7th. Thank you for your concern!!
Pat,
I was 14 when the war ended, just fyi. I remember listening every morning to the school loudspeaker because: The announcer would always announce the dead brothers of kids still in school that were not coming home. One day, the school Superintindent's son name was announced.
Your war, and what you saw, did not have to be and you did not have to see what you saw. Also, assigning your horror to Ho Chi Minh is not necessarily appropriate since I am positive he did not torture the children although I am equally certain that he was willing to do anything to win against America.
Pat, Vietnam, today, is a garden spot for wealthy American vacationers yes?
Just imagine if we had never decided to take up the French's failed cause of maintaining colonialism??
Where would you have been on that day when you saw those children instead?
I suggest you read a few more books. You haven't got it quite right. I say that having just completed two books on Vietnam. Close, but the popular antiwar position about Vietnam was only slightly more accurate than the prowar position.
With respect: the "pro war position" was a ridiculous and fraudulent scam perpetrated by a military industrial complex that Ike warned us about. North Vietnam was no threat to us. Diem of the South was no saviour of democracy - he was a crook.
The "domino theory" had as much validity as WMDs had for Iraq. The Vietnamese were at odds with China - this was not Korea.
There were atrocities by both sides. But we were the invaders - the aggressors as it were. It was then that we began to lose our moral ground in the world.
The egos of two Presidents and the lies from the front extended the nightmare.
The lies that our presidents and the military told us during the Vietnam years was horrible! McNamara and Westmoreland stand out to me to be the worst perpetrators of continuing the war. The US manufacturers of cigarettes, magazines, alcohol, etc…profited like crazy. Like the song says “War, what is it go for? Absolutely NOTHING!”.
Yes.
Tell me about the books too please, TC!
TC. Nobody ever gets it perfectly correct in three paragraphs my friend. Thank you for pointing that out.
Read TC's books! Like Thomas McKelvety Cleaver's Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club.
Interesting thoughts to ponder.
The truth hurts. Thanks for this, Mike.
Bill,
Thanks. The truth should not hurt. If, upon arriving at the truth, you feel pain, then, that means you previously were not aware of said truth, or worse, believed a lie.
In the case of America's militarism, we should all be more than well aware of what the US has wrought in the name of military contractor profits.
And....we should all be ashamed.
It seems that Putin enjoys killing. Look at his past. Chechnya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine. In Syria, he helped Assad destroy his own country. There is some evidence that Putin, not Chechnyan terrorists as Putin claimed, bombed the apartment buildings in Russia (discussed in this week's This American Life radio program.) If Putin is not invading one country that doesn't want him, he's helping others bomb their own countries.
Russia will move nuclear weapons into Belarus. Russia can already bomb Ukraine from Russia, so why move nuclear weapons into Belarus? There are only two reasons to use Belarus as a base for nuclear weapons: to bomb the entirety of Ukraine or the West. But Putin could already send long-range nuclear weapons from Russia to bomb Ukraine.
Putin's thinking might be, if he can't have Ukraine, he'll render it radioactive so that Ukrainians can't use the soil for farming. He'll destroy Ukraine, same as he helped Assad destroy Syria.
I heard that Putin is on the other side of the Ural Mountains - is this to shield him from radiation? Or is he just trying to intimidate the West? Or is he scared that his own people will get to him?
Putin emitted from the KGB.
That is all you need to know to understand how messed up he must be now.
Yup.
I’m curious. The Russians went for Chernobyl right away. Not sure whether they hold it still or don’t. But wouldn’t that site, alone and un- defended, still be a launching pad for random nuclear damage?
I don't know. The last I heard is that they've taken the workers at Chernobyl hostage. I don't know if it can be used as a launching pad for nuclear damage.
Diana, I feel your last paragraph is precisely his plan.
I hope he doesn't succeed. He's like a preschooler having a tantrum. Can't have something that doesn't belong to him so he'll run around the class destroying everyone else's toys.
Diana, you are spot on. My concern is his level of being able to destroy everyone else's toys.
Why are we not blowing up the tanks before they reach Kyiv? Or at least giving Ukraine the weapons it needs to blow them up?
It is unquestionable that Ukraine and its people were more closely associated with Russia only one week ago than they are today. Putin has not won any "hearts and minds" in Ukraine as a result of his brutal invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have demonstrated unquestionably that they will strongly continue to resist becoming simply a Russian vassal state.
The invasion of Ukraine by Putin's (not the Russian people's) army has alienated not only Ukrainians, but all of Europe and the Western Alliance against Russia. The sanctions are crippling the Russian economy and will anger the Russian people, many of whom will come to realize this is Putin's war and Putin's folly, not their own.
Is Trump yet prepared to rethink his comments about Putin's genius?
Not. Tfg thinks (markets) himself as the 1st-coming of the new American savior.
You know, for the longest time I did not realize that TFG was meant to be "the former guy" and I thought it meant "the fat guy." The Lard of Mar-a-Lardo certainly is some piece of work. I will wait with a "worm on my tongue" (baited breath) to see how long before he lives to regret calling Putin a "genius" and his invasion "smart."
The world will be destroyed by humans in one of these; 1. Climate change or 2. Nuclear war. We are told the extinction clock is now 100 seconds to midnight. It's well past time that we need to all cooperate to prevent this. Dr. Strangelove may not be fiction.
Makes one wonder which of te two in this race to extinction will win? And who will know?
And who will care, at that point?
Can’t ❤️ this but precisely!
Thanks for your clear argument, David, but I'm afraid nuclear disarmament will never happen. The decades long buildup of nukes was based on fear--fear of not having as many bombs as the next guy--and resulted in collective insanity. And with the largest nuclear arsenal in existence, the United States cannot credibly point fingers at bad actors who now have nuclear capability. After all, we are the only nation on Earth that has used these weapons of mass destruction.
In the sweep of history, mankind has used every weapon ever invented, except for ICBM's. It is a mathematical certainty that one day they will be used. Whether or not we acknowledge the coming apocalypse, especially in the face of more and more deranged leaders with their fingers on the button, is of little use. Even if the world makes nuclear weapons illegal, there will always be an Iran or N. Korea with nukes in hiding ready to strike.
Randy, I understand your point of view, but I cannot accept there is nothing that can be done. Highly likely is not "mathematical certainty". I will keep hoping for the few years I have left.
I'd like to see nukes go the way of Mustard gas, use of which is a categorical war crime, punishable in world courts. I too was around in the 1960s when we talked about deterence and treaties. Past is present. Need to do something remains. Have to restart the conversation with the progeny of that movement then in the now against the backdrop of a real war between democratic aspirations and baser authoritarian tribalism. Need eventually gets addressed, if not satisfied.
Seen, agreed, signed. (Would anyone actually know how to do it?)
You'd think it might be easy once we survive this brush with Armageddon, assuming we do.
As long as there is even one nuclear weapon and effective delivery system anywhere in the world, there will be thousands. Defense.
Tell that to Kim Jong-Un.
Assuming we do.
Nukes will never be eliminated.
No nuclear armed nation has ever been invaded by an outside military force. Never.
Nukes are the ultimate defensive weapon.
H.A., I think you are bit too sure that you have found the TRUTH about nukes. It is absolutely true that any non-nuclear nation inclined to attack or invade a nuclear nation has to think twice. And so far, since Nagasaki in 1945, no nation has fired a nuke at another, so it appears having nukes is foolproof insurance against nuclear attack, and thus far the facts bear it out. 77 years of good luck. I mean, we haven't even taken out Kim Jong-Un yet, and he's been asking for it for a long time, no?
But, I think your argument falls apart quickly the moment one nation actually fires a nuke at another nuclear armed nation. In fact, it falls apart if one nation merely threatens to fire a nuke, as Putin has done in the last few days, because it places his adversaries (me, Joe Biden, you -- I imagine -- and millions of other truly innocent people) in the uncomfortable position of having to either accept that the Russian Army can rape its neighbor with impunity or dust off our nukes and get them ready to fire at a moment's notice.
So there we are, Putin is aiming at us, and we're aiming at him, but we don't really trust him not to pull the trigger, and he sure doesn't trust us either, so.... we have to negotiate. WHEW! Thank God!
But what if Putin happens to have a psychotic episode -- he is under terrible pressure -- and says to himself "Screw it, what do I care? Fuck everybody and the planet they rode in on!" and then pushes the button?
Or maybe Putin is just being crazy like a fox and fires a little eeny-weenie teeny-tiny tactical nuke at a semi-abandoned Ukrainian military target, thinking just one will do the trick because all those snotty Americans and their Western European lackeys are a bunch of sissies and closet hippies afraid to take on a real macho man like him, and they will just piss their pants before risking nuclear holocaust.
But of course we are not sissies. And while we may not really want to end life on Earth as we know it, we sure as hell are not intending to have to worry about this Putin lunatic for even one more hour, so we send a clever drone with an eencie-weencie -- but truly nasty missile -- to take out Putin, thus avoiding having to lower ourselves to his tactically nuclear level, but the missile screws up, Putin survives and... then what? What would Putin do? I don't know. Do you? Isn't Armageddon one of the top two or three most likely results?
Doesn't look like defense or even deterrence to me. Looks more like total insanity.
Total insanity and an accident waiting to happen or maybe not an accident. I know half of everyone here will argue with me. But, There is nothing good about nuclear energy or weapons. In January, the Bulletin set the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight it has ever been.
https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/
Now we see Putin threatening to use nuclear weapons. We have already seen nuclear accidents including Chernobyl cause irreversible harm and death. Nuclear attack is supposed to be a deterrent. But in the hands of a madman, an “unstable genius” the end of the world is a real possibility. The clock is ticking. We are at our most dangerous threat ever.
David,
I just read your scenario and congratulate you on creative thinking. I think you will have a blockbuster novel if you expand it only a little and provide an alph male hero as part of the story!
Assuming we are all still here to read it that is.
David, this is brilliant thinking! Have you seen the recent movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence? I think it’s called “Don’t Look Up”.
Israel has
Border skirmishes easily repelled .
And that is exactly why North Korea, Israel, India, Pakistan, etc will never give up their nukes.
The ultimate defensive weapon against invasion.
Pakistan and India regularly invade each other.
Nukes: The ultimate defensive weapon and the ultimate irreversible death machine. It only takes one or two.
I fear those who have nukes will wipe out the world of human inhabitants.
Maybe, but to quote a line from a Kingston Trio song "until someone sets a spark off, and we will all be blown away." I think it was called "The Merry Minuet."
Well said. If for no other recent experience than 2016 to 2020 when almost all those nuclear weapons were within hands reach of demented world leaders. Talk about bungee jumping with an unhinged line.
Heart
Heart
We need to ask our senators and representative to establish a NO FLY ZONE over Ukraine and warn Russia that any Russian plane flying over Ukraine will be shot down. Zelinskiy is right - we can't allow this aggression to continue. Russia will be placed on notice, and will have the option of choosing to not fly over Ukraine, or of having its planes shot down if they fly over Ukraine. Please contact your Congressional representatives.
A heart-breaking video was posted a few hours ago of Ukrainians holding back Russian tanks with their bodies, shouting, "Russians go home. We have no weapons." It can be see on the UK Guardian's live-feed coverage of Ukraine. https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/01/ukraine-russia-latest-news-live-updates-war-vladimir-putin-kyiv-kharkiv-russian-invasion-update
While I am a very strong supporter of the Ukrainian people in their time of need. My goodness, I even have friends and family who are Ukrainian and even now fighting bravely for the preservation of their country. The U.S. or NATO proclaiming and enforcing a No Fly Zone over Ukraine at present is a catastrophically bad idea. Please understand that a No Fly Zone is not a magic umbrella that would prevent Russian planes (it airforce and military helicopters) from flying in Ukraine. A No Fly Zone declaration is essentially a declaration that U.S. and or NATO aircraft will shoot down Russian planes and helicopters. This is essentially a declaration of war. It would take the U.S. and Europe closer to the brink of a nuclear war with an unhinged and highly questionable, perhaps even insane, leader of the opposition. I think it is unlikely to bring a resolution to the current crisis and only raise the danger level to an unstable and highly dangerous peak. Let's see if we can't think a bit more rationally than the insane despot we face on the other side ... sorry, at the far end of the long, long, long table.
Thank you for your thoughts on this. And if we provided Ukraine with the equipment to take down Russian jets invading their airspace?
Excellent point, David, about the failure of the world to deal with nuclear weapons, and the vast importance of that single issue.
Over the decades since the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, the mention of those atomic bombs revolved around whether it was necessary or not to drop those bombs on Japan; whether or not we could have ended the war otherwise (e.g., invading Japan or putting it under siege). To me, the primary issue is that we (especially in the U.S.) failed to understand the significance of the nuclear bombs. In the exuberance of finishing WWII, We failed to appreciate how serious the nuclear age would be for the world. We should have learned, but governments are slow-learners in this regard. The United Nations was created at the end of WWII while the U.S. was the most powerful nation on earth. It was up to us to make the future issue of nuclear weapons a priority. But, the cold war started a couple of years later, and the Iron Curtain went up, and it was never accomplished. So it goes.... So we go....
The West is at fault ? For supporting Ukraine’s desire to their own freedom? For discouraging criminal kleptocracies from taking over their neighbors? For preventing Putin and TFG from establishing greater oligarch centric autocracies in the world? No, the West is at fault because after TFG was replaced, we ( collective countries we) are standing up to the global bully living on insane street
“Oh, if we never challenge him, he might be satisfied with terrorizing one of our classmates but not us”
What Putin fears is his own loss of control. This is what TFG fears as well
The West doesn’t want Russia, it wants stability under the rule of law, not Gangsters robbing and pillaging
You statement seems odd or at least a little ignorant and doesn't line up with the harsh resistance the Russian army is currently facing. If 50% of Ukraine identified with Russia as a whole they wouldn't exactly be fighting so hard for their own country. If you did yourself a favor and listened and read about history you'd see that Ukrainians were ostracized by Russians for so many years, lost 3.5 million folks under the Stalin years, and the Russian government tried to ban people speaking Ukrainian for years and attempted to make them 2nd class citizens.
If they identify with Russia so much then did they vote to leave Russia in 1991, and kicked out a pro Putin puppet and ever since then they've been doing better Financially and the people have been happier? The truth is a little bit more nuanced. You are trying to make this a simple problem that can be explained but it is way more complicated. At the end of the day, if you enter another country unprovoked because you are afraid of what may happen in the future, and you didn't even really give diplomacy a chance because you were being intellectually dishonest or purposely ambiguous. Plus Putin can't tell other countries to leave Nato, and before this year there wasn't a real chance that Ukraine was going to join Nato or the EU in a couple years. Putin doesn't run the entire continent of Europe, none of those countries was trying to invade or take over Russia.
And to add to your comment: NATO was formed to keep Russia in check. Look at the countries who have now aligned themselves with the EU and NATO’s present stances. Let’s hopefully, back Putin into a corner where he cannot make any moves. Let him dispose of himself before he does that to others.
Heart
?? Half of Ukraine identifies with Russia, or Putin. Which is it? Its hard to believe that half of the Ukrainian people want Russian Oligarchy as their model. Which half didn’t vote overwhelmingly for Zelensky?
Zelensky was elected with 73% of the vote. What does identifies with Russia even mean?
And according to today's poles 90% are backing him in this fight! That does not include the Russian backed regions of invaders placed there by Putin.
More than 90%!
Do you have a reputable data indicating that?
Probably BOT data. It is proliferating.
Common sense indicates the position is incorrect.
In this article, Michael McFaul and Robert Person explain that this isn’t about NATO for Putin, it is about his fear of a flourishing democracy in Ukraine:
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/what-putin-fears-most/
No one knows better than Putin that Ukraine is a long way from being accepted into NATO or the E.U. it doesn’t meet the most basic requirements. Putin has overplayed the Russian paranoia card. Either he wants Ukraine’s natural resources or in his humorless way has decided that Ukraine must be punished for electing a Jewish comedian president and must be taught that life is death and destruction. If Putin really believes that Ukraine is the heart and soul of Russia he would follow it into the future instead of trying to pull it back into the past.
Well said, desperado.
The EU is holding an emergency meeting tomorrow to admit Ukraine into the EU. From the Guardian Ukraine Live feed.
Y'know, Chris, you're right, it's not a pointless war. How about "reckless" or "counter-productive"?
It's insane that people have to leave their homes and lives because some dictator wants their land because he has illusions of a unified slavic people. So - who's next? Czechoslovakia? The Czechoslovakian language is also slavic.
After calling them "brothers," he shoots them and destroys their homes. Why is this even allowed in today's day and age? He is a terrorist and should be stopped immediately. People should not have to suffer because he wishes to impose his views on others.
If the average Russian citizen had EU status they'd be better off financially and have more civil freedom. Let's not confuse Russia and Putin. NATO is a defensive alliance, if Russia hadn't been conducting military operations on their neighbors in their region for the last 25 years then maybe more countries wouldn't feel the need to join. You don't have to like NATO or the EU, however to blame the EU or NATO for this when they haven't invaded Ukraine or killed any of their citizens is a little naïve. Seems a bit like victim blaming. I personally think all world leaders are guilty of war crimes and both the East and West conveniently blame each other while committing atrocities. However in this case, it seems pretty clear that Putin is in the wrong here and can't blame anyone but himself.
PhillyT: I agree.
That view is turned around, and part of Putin's cool-aid. The purpose of NATO is not to wage aggression in the world, but to keep the world at peace. No one is pushing NATO eastward. Eastward countries seek to be in NATO to protect themselves from Russia. Russia is the aggressor. Not NATO.
Here's a question: Have (presumably) the US and Europe's wealthy west been pushing NATO eastward since the end of the Cold War, or have former Soviet satellite states and republics been begging to be included in Nato as protection against being unwillingly sucked back into Putin's version of the Russian Empire? Strikes me as logical that autocrat/kleptocrat Putin would prefer not to have liberal democracies backed up against Russia, showing off and having fun while ordinary Russians are just slogging through their usual dreary lives and keeping their heads down. Guess it really got to him, in fact. Figured he needed a war.
Can’t ❤️ this either! 😤
A very succinct, and, I think, accurate one paragraph summary of the origin of today's mess David.
Well done. I hope you are in job where someone can listen.
I'm retired. My wife sometimes listens to me -- for about 5 minutes on a good day. But then her eyes glaze over, too.
Is the US menacing Mexico or just trading with Mexico and being a pretty good neighbor most of the time? Our relations with Mexico are probably better than any of China's relations with its neighbors. Does the US have territorial ambitions in eastern Europe (or anywhere else, for that matter)? The Monroe Doctrine is pretty specific to the Americas, and it's been a few years since we last threw our weight around. Have we sent the Marines to Venezuela anytime lately? Must have missed that. Is Cuba our 51st state yet? No? And who's running Cile these days? What? really? How cool.
…and Russia with theirs.
Ukraine left Russia's obit long ago, If there is an authority on the subject who you wish to recommend, it would helpful to include a link. It may not be difficult for interested subscribers to find t ourselves. Thank you.
I share your thirst, Fern. I've ordered Tim Snyder's earlier work on Ukrainian history to get a broader picture.
He reaches my head, heart and soul, Stuart.
Yesterday there were two links posted in a comment that led to articles on the background of the issue about NATO expansion. Here's one of them:
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early (I included the first few lines below.)
So there is some sense in which the "West is at fault". On the other hand, there's no question that Ukrainians don't want to be united with or enveloped by Russia and that Putin's war is unjustified; only that the Western countries seem to have gone back on their word offered to Gorbachev in 1990. Here are the first few lines of the article:
Washington D.C., December 12, 2017 – U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s famous “not one inch eastward” assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, was part of a cascade of assurances about Soviet security given by Western leaders to Gorbachev and other Soviet officials throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991, according to declassified U.S., Soviet, German, British and French documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (http://nsarchive.gwu.edu).
P.S. I haven't watched the lecture by Mearsheimer, but I just noticed that it was given in 2015. I will watch it when I have time. (Despite being retired for 20 years, I don't seem to have a spare moment.)
We are still here. Kyiv is not surrounded. Kharkiv has not fallen neither has Mariopel. Munitions coming in from Europe. Special ops veterans from America and Britain coming to join the Foreign battalion. Tanya says the French Foreign Legion Ukrainians are on their way. Those guys fight like Chechens. Russians really pouring it on today, now targeting civilians more and more.
We have been on blackout here two nights. I mean black. No light of any kind. I learned I cannot find my ass with both hands in the dark
The phrase "those guys fight like Chechens" made me smile. thanks, Allen. Stay safe. Putin is, indeed, at his most dangerous when he is really scared. My hope is that someone does in fact put something in his tea--and soon.
Thank you for the update, Allen. Relieved to hear you are well. Keeping all of you in my heart.🌷
Try to find something else, Allen, and be sure to let us know
Hahaha yeah right
What's taking so long? I can't wait all day.
I'm not up to much lately. 😕
And we can't even tell the Russians to beat it. Pornhub has cut off service to Russia
Damn you autocorrect. Not Portugal. Pornhub
Well that’s a slight difference — Portugal => pornhub.
Freudian slip on autocorrect. Portugal sounds good. Take care. ❤️
Can’t ❤️ Anybody’s comment but great to hear from you, Allen!
Too funny.
LOL!!!
LOL!!!
😩
LOL!
😅
😶🌫️
I have to remember to drink my coffee BEFORE reading some of the comments here! Thanks for the laughs; grateful you still have power and can keep us updated as to your status. The local Ukrainian-American community (13,000+) here in the Twin Cities have been posting updates too. So many heartening stories of courage against unbearable odds. We are with you- hope you can stay safe.
Same: Sip. Swallow. Read. Laugh. Repeat.
Good morning dear Allen and Tanya and Lucky.
Here’s the trick… before stumbling into something while trying to find your ass, give it 10-15 seconds when you get up before moving. Look around. Tune your other senses to the dark. Close your eyes while you do this.
Used to use this exercise with kids when we learned about our senses.
If I stand up too fast, my engine light comes on
Hahahahahaha. I hear you!
It is almost 3 AM in NYC. We are with you Allen, your family and the people of Ukraine.
Allen, My sense from listening to several of the USA's most experienced top military brass is that the next 48 hrs. to be hell in major cities in Ukraine. Protect yourself and family as best you can. Opinion is Putin off the rails. We are going to anxious to hear from you tomorrow. Heart to heart.
Allen did you perform with Zelensky?
That would be so fun. We loved his comedy show. 95 Quartal
I can’t believe that you are the one providing the comic relief here. Grace under fire. I salute you, Sir‼️
My kids say I have an inappropriate joke for evet occasion
Are you Zelensky?
I could never be the man he is
I don’t trust your assessment of yourself, considering the poise you’re exhibiting here
Back in Army basic training at Fort Dix, I recall recruits were trained how to do things in the dark. Close your eyes tightly for about ten or fifteen seconds, slowly open them and voila, you have a bit of night vision.
That reminded me, that when I was having a bad dream when I was a kid, I would close my eyes tightly and when I opened them I was awake, don’t ask me how I figured that out while I was in the midst of that bad dream, because….
It's not the sound of Allen, it's the picture of him that I'm interested it.
Oh, Allen! It's nice to hear from you and know you have not lost your sense of humor. I continue to watch for your posts, and continue to marvel at you , Tanya, and Lucky and your bravery. It mirrors the whole of Ukraine and your fight for freedom. BTW, your ass is on the backside!
So relieved that you can still post, Allen. I even ask my students to keep you, Tanya and Lucky in their hearts -- we speak about Ukraine every day. 🇺🇦❤️🇺🇦❤️🇺🇦 Sending you strength.
But your sense of humor prevails over the dark❤️
Every post from you gives me hope for Ukraine. I don't know where or how you are getting news or access to the internet, but in today's news here in the US about the attacks on Kharkiv, we also learned that Russia and Belarus and their athletes are now banned from playing international soccer, from participating in any Olympic activities and yesterday the Russian ballet was dropped from performing anywhere. We learned that Sputnik and the other main Russian "news" source are banned, that Anonymous took down the official government website. Now, soldiers from around the world are being allowed to fight with Ukrainians, as individuals not as members of any "official" military from any country. Stay safe, friend.
Yes. All of that is happening
Thank you for updating us, Allen. It’s a relief to know you and family are ok. It all is beyond imagination. Hoping this violence and war against the Ukrainian people ends soon, for you, for Ukraine and the world. Stay safe.
Godspeed, Allen...
Thanks for keeping us apprised Allen. Thinking of you and your family, holding you and all of Ukraine in my heart.
Thanks for the update Allen.
I have no independent verification of US Special Ops being deployed.
;-)
They are veterans. And they are deploying themselves to fight in the International Brigade.
I would think that they are arriving from all over the place, if I was 20 years younger and in better health I would already be there. It would be an honor to fight for the Ukraine 🇺🇦 and when all of this is over you watch how much the Ukraine honors them. Remember Lafayette and the park named for him directly across from the WH, he left a comfortable life in France to come help us with our revolution, nations don’t forget help like that. Any way any of us can help the Ukrainians we should be doing it, they deserve our full support.
That is how I feel. I am frustrated that I can't help even locally but my wife and step son would knock me out and drag me home. I would likely be in the way but I can load trucks and stuff
Wonder if the veterans who stormed the Capitol on 01/06 have signed up to go? 😉
Not a flippin' chance.
Perhaps not on the Ukrainian side!
That would be very conspiratorial on their part, yes?
I doubt it they are no doubt afraid to really fight. They were just bullies!
Given that they complain about jail and cry, I say no and agree with Ally below.
😂🤣 😂🤣 😂🤣 😂🤣 😂🤣
I hadn’t had a chance to check the comments today until now (24 hours later). Hope you are still okay, Allen.
Yes thanks.
Allen, so glad you are still with us and letting us know what's actually happening. I do appreciate the fact that you still have a sense of humor too. As the poster belong says I do hope someone puts something in Putin's tea. Stay safe.
🇺🇦🌻❤️
I certainly hope that Lardo Lardass, Jefe of Mar A Lardo, continues to support his buddy Putin. The attack ads this fall write themselves, and there he is, on tape, committing his treason. If I was the GOP I would think now that victory in November for our fascist fuckwits might be as elusive in the US as victory in February is in Ukraine for the Russian version. Get the tape of MTG this past weekend at the Nuremberg rally, with the Nazis shoulding for Putin, and play that - "Is this who you want running our country?"
When you ask that question, and get the answer of "it's better than what we have now", then what? (Rhetorical)
TC, you have a way with words. So many names for death star and CPAC as the Nuremberg rally, so perfect.
Who is MTG?
Marjorie Taylor Green
Otherwise known as Gangrene.
I call her Marjorie Three Names.
Yes, I LOVE your nickname—so clever 😊
Truth!
"We fired our guns and the Russians kept a-comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin'
On down the Dnieper River to the Village of Bocharovo"
Don't give up your day job. :):):)
How are you, Allen? MSNBC reporter Matt Bradley left Dnipro for L'viv following air raids. Wishing you safety!
The whole world has wrapped itself in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, from landmark buildings and bridges, to Niagara Falls, to individual homes, to spectators at sporting events.
https://twitter.com/doctor_eon/status/1498167557181751299?s=20&t=N4ymv8x6DKC4qx-hdJgv-w
The rouble fell already by 30% this morning on opening and individual companies are offering deals to get foreign currency at half the going rate as the Russian Central Bank can nolonger supply.
Good morning, Stewart!
Just getting organized. Haven't caught up on the day yet
Morning, Elie. Got the Twitter bug. Can't verify this, but it's fun to watch.
https://twitter.com/kiranjoshi235/status/1498031236731715587?s=20&t=1E5fqxlh-CE--IQVFzuMSw
Fun! Did you see the other ones: man kneeling in front of tank and man telling Russian soldiers to go home?
Well, their leader is a comedian. Humor is contagious!
😂
Yep, the Zakim bridge in Boston is lit in yellow and gold.
Ellie, thanks for the link. Brought tears to my eyes. That's been happening a lot lately.
LOL..ok!
Surely you're old enough to remember Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL7XS_8qgXM Looking forward seeing Ukrainians chasing many Russian soldiers into the Black Sea.
Hey, I remember Homer and Jethro's version
While I do not...
Thanks, Judith...perfect!
Wow! “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton. I always liked the part with the alligator. Maybe the ‘gator could be Trump in Lynell’s version of the song.
Gators can be very useful. Look what happened to the awful Captain Hook when he threatened Peter and Wendy!
Alligator justice for pirate Putin.
The alligator verse has always been my favorite as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL7XS_8qgXM
Or if you'd prefer...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEDPTNF8zzM
Wish Tom Lehrer were still producing songs--but at 94 I guess I can forgive him . . .
Brilliant! Hey, you got a smile out of me, Lynell. THANX!
Oh yes.
Novyy Orleans here we come....charge!
Well said...morning, Stuart!
I thought it your rewriting was great. Bravo maestro....morning Lynell.
Well done- I can hear "Battle of New Orleans" in my mind!
Then mission accomplished, Barbara!
Well, Lynell, you just dated yourself. 🤣
Yes, ma'am, and those were the good ol' days!
That they were
Lynell, there were no nukes at the battle of New Orleans.
No offense meant, as I have been seeing the David/Goliath perspective these past five days.
No offense taken. I love your comment and I have fond memories of the song. I was 7 in 1959 and had just received a small transistor radio for Christmas when Horton's rendition was #1 on the charts.
One of the doubtful military escapades that gave Jackson his presidency (along with chasing the spanish remnants from Florida) when he attacked the British forces after peace had been declared.
The Brits didn't know and actually were attacking the Americans. The Americans forted up behind cotton bales and let them come. Wave after wave. The Scottish Highlanders were brave. Their leaders should have been shot.
Stuart Neither the British nor the Americans in New Orleans knew that a tentative peace had been declared [Packet boats were much slower than the Internet in bringing the news]. The British were glorious in their handsome red uniforms marching straight into withering cannon and sniper fire. General Jackson and his Lafite swamp rats had a turkey shoot.
It was such a stupid British military debacle that it deserved a ‘Charge of the Light Brigade-‘ type poem (which glorified a stupid and deadly British attack in the Crimean War’ to honor the many Brits who were ordered to their depth.
Every 50 years or so the English "gentleman's" army made a habit of this to prove their "utility"😂. Professional armies are not so foolhardy and tend to keep their intended objectives in mind and not just their " honour"
Going from Canada to Saratoga (when our good buddy Bennie Arnold saved the American bacon) General Burgoyne had about 30 wagons for his personal needs, including crystal and silver candles. I don’t believe that these proved useful in fighting the uncouth rebels.
Thanks Keith but i did know. It was just a good oppoortunity to get in a dig at Jackson who to my mind had much in common withTfg!
Stuart Ah, the joys of revisionist history. Arthur Schlinger’s 1945 book on the age of Jackson had only one very minor reference to Native Americans. In the Trail of Tears, the Seminoles took about 2,000 slaves with them and, according to documented accounts of the journey, the army tried to care for all of the folks. About 900, including army members, died, often from disease—the old and very young were the most vulnerable. Some Seminole leaders paid homage to Jackson during this trip. Back in Florida during his hard-tack military campaign, at one time Jackson’s ‘army’ included a considerable number of Native Americans. When they were hungry, they are beans and nuts and farted most loudly. If you fart together isn’t this ‘togetherness?’
For political stupidity Biddle of the National Bank won the biscuit. He heavily financed ads attacking Jackson for HIS desire to eliminate the books. Evidently voters overwhelmingly
A misuse of opportunity. How British of you.
❤️
Good morning, Lynell!! I do love that song.
Behind on being able to say "Morning, Ally," but I believe it still is in your neck of the woods!
That is good.
"Here in 2022 we took a good long look
At fellow off in Russia who seems to be a kook"
I am calling it Putin´s war rather than Russia´s war. Here where I live, Russians and Ukrainians created a Ukrainian flag in support of Ukraine and walked together. If more of Russia's military would lay down arms, what a beginning for a new possible world. And, once again, I encourage everyone to repost this letter to all their social media. And one more thing, in yesterday´s NYT a headline was something about Democracy becoming weak and Authoritarianism strong. I am going to write to the NYT and let them know that I will cancel my subscription if they keep having non fact based headlines like this.
I didn't like the article either - but it held many truths. The NYT is not the only outlet to offer sobering information about the rise of authoritarian governments - that democracy is being challenged around the world. The Economist and WAPO have done the same. I take it as a "world wake up call". Democracy around the world IS weakening.
But I do take issue with the drumbeat of articles about Biden's declining popularity and the polls showing low approval numbers. I am disappointed in PBS/NPR for the same reason.
60+% now disapprove of his presidency. But of that 60, how many are progressives who would vote for him again against TFG - but just think the country hasn't made enough progress? The number is a meaningless combination of extremely different opinions. Public thought has never been monolithic - not even at the height of WWII. Much of that Progressive disappointment I think is misplaced blame because they simply don't know how our government works. Congress makes the laws. Duh. We have a razor thin "majority" with 2 Senators who are DINOs.
The point of the article and many others is that the rising tide of freedom and democracy has been replaced by a flood of authoritarian monsters. And all we have to do is look within to see that we as the "beacon" of democracy is a sad, sick joke. We have one half of our own Senate who refuse to condemn the traitors in their own party. They put their political survival ahead of democracy and the rule of law. We have millions of voters who see the other party as literally the "enemy" - like they want us ruined or killed type of enemy.
Is the brilliant resistance to Putin's invasion of Ukraine a turning point? Maybe Zelensky will inspire us even more. Maybe the situation had to get this bad before the "free" world would truly unite on something. Maybe this war will get us to look in the mirror and see the traitors in our midst - standing right behind us with a knife.
I absolutely agree with you. It is because I want so much for democracy to prevail. Thank you for holding me accountable. You sound like someone I would love to have coffees with and listen to.🌷
I'd love to tag along... I will mostly listen!
No! You speak too XOXO
you'll regret that : )
Bill,
Fox News is winning the viewership award.
I find it fascinating that all one must do is offer fake blondes and fake truth and one becomes the top of th heap in media.
But, I cannot tell if it is the fake blondes or the fake truths that are the main attraction of Fox News.
On another note, if you don't believe how effective 'our voices' are, a tsunami of feedback pushed CNN to cancel the Alex Jones special last night! (What were they thinking?!?)
I actually want to vomit every time I hear a person say "I'm informed. I read the New York Times."
I hadn't seen that. I still have my paper on the couch... but I will join you after I skim that and write to them as well!
Thank you ❤
Welcome to 1984. The Republicans have really stuck their foot in it this time. I didn't think they could get this dumb but now they are praising tRUMP for providing aid to Ukraine apparently forgetting that he was impeached for withholding $400 million in aid to Ukraine to get them to smear Biden and his son. There's no limit to Republicans stupidity fortunately for us.
The republicans are counting on the stunningly short term memory of their supporters. And so far it has worked just fine! The dumbing of the uSA began under Reagan and here we are with a President having provided jobs, security a future, global leadership but with low rating? How come?
Rupert, the dumbing down has been deliberate and mega successful.
Maybe...just maybe, the Dems will get smart and remind people over and over that the rethuglicans have been to fools of tRumps army for a l-o-n-g time.
The bought and paid for media … the “fake news” they love to scream about …
As Bill Maher said, can the Dems take advantage of an unexpected opportunity. His last blurb sounded like the Dems had won the fight. Not so, their octopus has many arms. Bill has trashed all Dems as being like the “woke” progressives that he runs into. Most are like me, I’ll wager. Just people like me who want an equitable and fair society. When our “friends” act more like enemies, (Foxers), and painting us all with the same ridiculous brush, then we have more problems than republican cult nuts.
Through the fog of war, it will be important for world media always to keep a spotlight focused on one man: Aleksei Navalny.
And HCR has not forgotten him.
The risk is that, with all attention turning to the assault on Ukraine, the Russian regime could use the opportunity to murder him.
Navalny is never far from my thoughts.
And they will, along with how many others. We hope Stalin’s mentality is not the primary government strategy
Social media has given us a great window into the horrific as well as the honorable acts in Ukraine. A woman threatening a Russian soldier telling him he should be ashamed of what he is doing, said she’s going to give him seeds so flowers will grow where he dies. A woman driving a stranger’s children to their mother and safety, when the father wasn’t allowed to leave the country. The soldiers telling the Russian attack on their island to F**k off. A woman said she’s not leaving because she was going to stay and fight for her country. Talk about courageous strong willed people! I don’t know a single one of them but I’m so proud and impressed by them! They make my daily struggle so insignificant!
Indeed this blood is on Putin’s hands!
One thing about liberal democracies; in the interest of protecting the concept of freedom, they trip all over themselves when it comes to naming and combatting certain kinds of criminal behavior. Perhaps it's the fact that capitalism runs rampant in many liberal societies and swift justice for white-collar crime isn't acceptable. Look at the excruciating difficulty of holding our own corporate cultures to high standards of conduct in this complex, tangled world of international business. The modern Russian oligarchy would not have been possible without the mechanisms in place and places all too willing to accept massive boluses of dirty money and wash it lillywhite through shell corporations, legitimate businesses and the like in international capitals of business around the world. The same easy fluidity that we treasure when we plan our dream vacations in exotic parts of the world enables every manner of criminal behavior in a laissez faire world. Notice how we carefully choose the word "freeze" over the word "seize" when it comes to the assets of the ultra-wealthy. To "seize" would smack of authoritarian tactics, whereas simply freezing suggests that under the right conditions, criminals can keep the spoils of their crimes. Indeed, if all we did were to force the assets out into the open and ship them back to Russia, then the Russian populace could decide how it wants to deal with its leaders, who apparently have robbed the country blind of the majority of its economic lifeblood. What would we do with all those seized super-yachts anyway??? We'd have to face the profound inequality in our own society, where executive paychecks a hundred-fold higher than the average worker aren't nearly enough, so international tax lawyers, offshore holdings, foreign subsidiaries are deployed to manage the assets using the same tactics as the Russian guy whose G5 is parked adjacent at the regional airport in the Hamptons. In many regards we are every bit as corrupt, if somewhat less blatant than those under scrutiny at the moment. Still, our targets for military adventurism have at least had features like cruel dictators, doomsday weapons, opium poppy fields, mass oppression of minorities and the like to justify our modern crusade rhetoric and campaigns. Nevermind that those justifications have often been based on bad intelligence or haven't been sufficiently appreciated by the "liberated" recipients of our benevolent bombings. Ukraine is guilty of...Nazi-ism? Genocide?
There's no such thing as a just war, only a certain nobility in those who resist the aggressor.
Agree so much about capitalism. America is deep in doo doo, along with Russia. Here in Spain, because it is a new democracy, there is a real effort to be transparent. Even the father of the king is on trial for taking a bribe. The king stripped his father of his stipend.
Lord, the introspection is painful
Now that's addressing the elephant in the room!
Who's the guy that never apologizes? No, I don't mean Putin. Remember the guy that used to be President of the United States? You know, the one that keeps telling everyone that he won the … Oh, never mind. How much do you want him back in the White House again? If Orange Spectra got in there again, you know he'd do more than flush official government documents down the toilet.
'Former president Donald Trump gave his strongest indication yet that he intends to run in 2024 during a nearly 90-minute speech to supporters on Saturday night that also included continued praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.'
“We did it twice, and we’ll do it again,” Trump told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, falsely claiming again that he won the 2020 election. “We’re going to be doing it again a third time.”
'The former president condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine without denigrating Putin directly, saying it’s “appalling and it’s an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed to occur.” Trump mocked President Biden and NATO allies for punishing Russia with sanctions, saying Putin was “playing Biden like a drum.” He bragged that Putin did not invade any countries during his term and said this invasion would never have happened “if our election was not rigged” — a reference to his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.' (WashingtonPost)
Had enough of that? Me, too.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/26/trump-2024/
Morning Fern. I most certainly have had enough of that. I posted this late yesterday on HCR’s previous LFAA. Was updating on weekend news and came across this. Have my catch phrase now from the Russian warship story. Applies to the entire band of traitors of democracy.
“Got back on Sunday night and decided to catch up on some coverage from the Conservative Pricks and Asswipes Convention. It’s been difficult containing my glee at how their thunder literally got an ass whoopin’ due to the real news and concern about Ukraine capturing the attention of people around the world. I turned on a local news review and watched one clip of Mr. Trump commenting on the war before his statement about doing things differently. I actually rewatched it to make sure I heard the orange hazard correctly.
‘The problem is not that Putin is smart, which of course he is. The real problem is that our leaders are dumb.’
🙄”
👽
"We did it twice, and we'll do it again," says he. If he really "did it twice," then he's not eligible for a third term. But facts never stand in his way, nor in the way of those who only watch Faux News and the like.
They are legion
I had my fill of that when he freaked out about the crowd size in 2017, it had obviously been a fraction of the crowd for Obama. I have run out of adjectives to describe the POS that was our president, even without the descriptor’s the smell remains.
Noxious, nauseating, malignant narcissist.
Fern, Trump seems to be able to defy gravity as far as I can tell. So, as I rub my eyes, yet again, in disbelief, I do believe Trump is polling higher than Biden who is actually doing a spectacularly good job.
But, it is not easy to put "good job" into a nice catch phrase like "let's go Brandon".
Fern, I wish I thought Trump was the problem.
But, I don't. He is merely a symptom of the disease and the disease is: Americans.
Important thesis of yours, No time now, but we will pursue this. Very, very bad days ahead for Ukraine. Salud.
I have been begging for some positive news and you certainly brought it to the table tonight. Thank you! Knowing that Putin and his pals are being squeezed financially and mentally is delightful. The EU’s commitment to supply Ukraine with whatever it takes to bring the dictator to his knees is a welcomed sight. Let this be a strong lesson to Republicans who sang such obnoxious praise for this madman because there are those of us citizens who are willing to fight them. We will not be silent.
I do not think those who support authoritarianism understand what their lives would be like if their "wishes" came true.
Mind you Margaret Atwood laid it out for them very clearly and it has been all over the cinema and televisio. They just think that it won't happen to them...just to the other.
Exactly.
"they" aren't watching those programs, Stuart. Very possibly if they did, they wouldn't get it and would turn back to Fox.
Tell me what books of hers you're referring to, please!
Well you might want to start with "A Handmaids Tale" for instance.
They understand that their “enemies” (abortionists, leftists, etc) would be forced to toe the party line. Those things they support and see as “right and good” would verily make the sun shine brighter. But their long term vision is about as limited as their attention span. No authoritarian regime will allow the proliferation of firearms. They would be confiscated faster than you could say Democracy … only then, when it affects them, would they realize the error of their ways.
Absolutely !
Absolutely
Not in any way, shape, or form. It would shock them to find that, to the authoritarians, they are the same as us...serfs.
I think this every day.
Of course not. Which actually makes sense... they really don't get it! Anything!
Some Belarusian Spetsnats are taking of their uniforms and refusing to go to Ukraine. One of their generals told troops to disobey Russian orders
Marching backward as fast as they can.
For real ?!?!?!
I saw that on Twitter.
As another indication of democracy finally getting the upper hand, British journalist Carole Cadwalla did an expose on Russian elitist oligarch's investments in Great Britain that connect dots between Putin, Trump, and GOP. In reaction, she was dragged through a libel suit. At last she is receiving kudos for her reporting.
https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1497602436298461184?s=20&t=N4ymv8x6DKC4qx-hdJgv-w
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1497193505801781248?s=20&t=N4ymv8x6DKC4qx-hdJgv-w
As we are quite saturated with news, enjoy these witty take down expressions of democracy over autocracy, of decent people over bullies!
https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1497975994015227907?s=20&t=N4ymv8x6DKC4qx-hdJgv-w
https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1498016340728332292?s=20&t=N4ymv8x6DKC4qx-hdJgv-w
Hahahahahaha, Ellie. Radio Free Tom. “Russian Warship….Go fuck yourself.”
Let’s keep that in mind when Repubs use distraction and detractors before during and after President Biden’s State of the Union address this week.
Now I have my catch phrase.
Woohoo and let it rip. Go F yourself repubs
Jeri, oh hell. I've been telling them that for years and have no intention of stopping. 😉
And Linda, I can just hear you….”you are nothing but a Russian warship. Go f*ck yourself. Be safe. Be well.”
Hahahahahahaha
Oh, this will be mine. Coopting in progress!!!
Good one, Christine.
Christine, I would have to include that last part, you know, just to be consistent. 😆
You are so fabulous and consistent. You are like a touchstone on this forum!
And now we can be a united chorus that will be a sonic boom!
“Then row.” Hahahaha
Yes! Yay!
Thanks for the Cadwalla piece, Elie, although the photo is from 2017 when she was trying to fund her Presidential campaign after the refusal of the French banks to do for her what they did for every other candidate.....lend money. I don't support her but a large minority of the French voters did in that election.
Yes, the photo of Marine Le Pen shaking hands with Putin...
She made me heave back then, still does
Ugh! Made me ill!
Thanks for each of these, Ellie!
Many thanks!
Thank you!
ENABLERS like pompeo, trump, lindsey graham, marjorie taylor greene, bobbert…essentially ANY trump/maga republican needs to sit under scrutiny to account for their misplaced allegiance(s). Be they public or private citizens all bad and unscrupulous actors should be called upon for their words and deeds.
My point being…****United States citizens**** should be entirely held accountable for their pro-putin sentiments as expressed in their sycophantic adoration for trump. It’s not foreigners only, but and especially citizens of America who need a lesson in citizenship.
It’s about time!
Thank you for not capitalizing traitors' names. They are all lower case. Wish the press could do the same.
Such an intelligent and sobering essay. Just hoping people supporting tyranny kleptocracy oligarchy will read your insights AND LEARN!