Do you dismiss the motive of revenge? At a time when Putin is mad out of mind because of the military embarrassment in Ukraine, when word of the war is getting out to some Russians and his country's economy is being shut down -- when he seems less invincible -- Joe's mouth gets out of control. Do you ignore the Putin - Trump alliance;…
Do you dismiss the motive of revenge? At a time when Putin is mad out of mind because of the military embarrassment in Ukraine, when word of the war is getting out to some Russians and his country's economy is being shut down -- when he seems less invincible -- Joe's mouth gets out of control. Do you ignore the Putin - Trump alliance; Russian's ways on social media; the midterms... do you think Putin's natural instincts have been calmed or excited? On this one Steve, we are not aligned. Have you noticed how fast the administration is running away from it -- to no avail? Biden may have adlibbed, but this is no gaffe; it was lack of control at a price. Let Putin's mistakes fester without bringing negative attention to yourself, Mr. President.
Hi Fern. Putin has done far more damage to Putin than a sentence uttered by Joe Biden ever could. Putin's "natural instincts" have been excited for months. The Russian economy is being dismantled by sanctions. Their military has proven to be a very rusty tiger. The upper and middle management of Russian bureaucracy is made up, by intention, of not very talented people. Once the Russian stock market reopened, the Chinese started to not-so-quietly buy up Russian companies at bargain prices. This is public knowledge. The myth of Putin's "invincibility" has been exposed for lo these many weeks. As for revenge, what, really, can Putin do that is not already in motion? Nukes? Yes, that is why diplomacy is the only realistic way out of this mess. Did Biden's "Putin must go" remark make that more difficult? Yes. Insurmountable? No. Putin already has an unchewable mouthful. Biden's distraction from that fact really does not change anything.
Hi Steve. I appreciate this opportunity for us to elaborate on different points of view. I am sorry that Biden moved the klieg lights that were on Putin to himself. I also think that Biden provided 'them' with propaganda. Biden's line will have no effect on regime change. As I've written Biden diverted attention at a time. He should not be the subject now. In the ways I have suggested, his line did move the needle. It is possible to incite a wild animal to feed the monster's appetite. I cannot join you, Steve, with conclusion nothing happened. I wish it hadn't happened. You did in this comment move a little closer to 'something did happen'. I'm smiling, because we are two of friendliest with different points of view.
Hang in there Fern. I don't like disagreeing with you because you are brilliant. We'll see where and how far the needle moves in the coming days. The world is in a very reactive and distractable place right now. I never thought Biden's remark was nothing, I just don't think it is a game changer.
Steve, I will always 'hang in there', with you. I wasn't joking when I wrote that I appreciated the opportunity to elaborate on our differences of opinion. Most arguments, unfortunately, aren't as friendly as ours. Big smile.
I agree that though his last remark is what most of us are feeling, President Biden saying it took attention away from the body of this speech that was both brilliant and historical. It will be up to the MSM to pull back from the attention they are giving it. The MSM already put trump in office with the unbelievable amount of free press he was afforded. You’d think they’d have learned their lesson that ratings are not worth losing our democracy or inflaming an embarrassed tyrant. Is this me being naive?
Sharon, I wouldn't put this on MSM. I've already seen very qualified people expressing their concern about the line and Biden owns it. Not a 'gaffe' from my point of view but a strategic error of note. I don't think that it can be missed or dismissed. We don't know the consequences, but I'd say the line was regrettable.
I suspect it has not been much of an "embarrassment" for Putin: That is western propaganda spin. Russia's principal initual goal has been to degrade Ukraine's military capability, especially of the Ukrainian right-wing neo-Nazi military formations, and most especially in the Donbass area.
Russia has refrained from wholesale assaults on Jkrainian cities, with the significant exception of Maruipol, where the so-called Azov battalion (regiment) has a fanatic attachment, and where these neo-Nazis have been holding the civilian population hostage.
Oh, are we a minority, Lisa! I don't know if it has anything to do with being in recovery from the former president, but many subscribers seem to me to be oversensitive to any fault found with Biden. It may also have to do with the weakness of democracy in the USA. Do you think, paradoxically, that there is an undemocratic flavor to it? I don't mind being in the minority as it isn't a new experience me. Understandably, it feels good to hear Biden talk tough and express what the people themselves (including me) feel about Putin. It is one thing to have your feelings ratified by the president and for the world to hear but another to speak strategically in war time -- why inflame the enemy when his failure in Ukraine is burning bright under klieg lights. Why take any of that negative attention away from Putin?. My uneasiness is the reluctance of quite a few to even consider that perspective.
I hate to jump in here, but I think it’s more a wartime mentality that any harsh criticism of “our” side provides ammunition to the other side, be that our own home-grown autocratic, anti-democracy Republicans, or Putin and Russia. As I said in another comment, I don’t know if what Biden said was a mistake or not. None of us can truly know that, at least not yet. I think it likely that we’re all at least partly right - the comment can both provide ammunition to Putin and reflect western thinking and not matter very much at the same time. And I completely agree with you that we must support people’s right to make these criticisms. I defend your right to do so, but the fear of weakening our own position by doing so is, I think, not entirely misplaced. Thank goodness we still live somewhere where this kind of political discourse is possible.
Do you dismiss the motive of revenge? At a time when Putin is mad out of mind because of the military embarrassment in Ukraine, when word of the war is getting out to some Russians and his country's economy is being shut down -- when he seems less invincible -- Joe's mouth gets out of control. Do you ignore the Putin - Trump alliance; Russian's ways on social media; the midterms... do you think Putin's natural instincts have been calmed or excited? On this one Steve, we are not aligned. Have you noticed how fast the administration is running away from it -- to no avail? Biden may have adlibbed, but this is no gaffe; it was lack of control at a price. Let Putin's mistakes fester without bringing negative attention to yourself, Mr. President.
Hi Fern. Putin has done far more damage to Putin than a sentence uttered by Joe Biden ever could. Putin's "natural instincts" have been excited for months. The Russian economy is being dismantled by sanctions. Their military has proven to be a very rusty tiger. The upper and middle management of Russian bureaucracy is made up, by intention, of not very talented people. Once the Russian stock market reopened, the Chinese started to not-so-quietly buy up Russian companies at bargain prices. This is public knowledge. The myth of Putin's "invincibility" has been exposed for lo these many weeks. As for revenge, what, really, can Putin do that is not already in motion? Nukes? Yes, that is why diplomacy is the only realistic way out of this mess. Did Biden's "Putin must go" remark make that more difficult? Yes. Insurmountable? No. Putin already has an unchewable mouthful. Biden's distraction from that fact really does not change anything.
Hi Steve. I appreciate this opportunity for us to elaborate on different points of view. I am sorry that Biden moved the klieg lights that were on Putin to himself. I also think that Biden provided 'them' with propaganda. Biden's line will have no effect on regime change. As I've written Biden diverted attention at a time. He should not be the subject now. In the ways I have suggested, his line did move the needle. It is possible to incite a wild animal to feed the monster's appetite. I cannot join you, Steve, with conclusion nothing happened. I wish it hadn't happened. You did in this comment move a little closer to 'something did happen'. I'm smiling, because we are two of friendliest with different points of view.
Hang in there Fern. I don't like disagreeing with you because you are brilliant. We'll see where and how far the needle moves in the coming days. The world is in a very reactive and distractable place right now. I never thought Biden's remark was nothing, I just don't think it is a game changer.
Steve, I will always 'hang in there', with you. I wasn't joking when I wrote that I appreciated the opportunity to elaborate on our differences of opinion. Most arguments, unfortunately, aren't as friendly as ours. Big smile.
I agree that though his last remark is what most of us are feeling, President Biden saying it took attention away from the body of this speech that was both brilliant and historical. It will be up to the MSM to pull back from the attention they are giving it. The MSM already put trump in office with the unbelievable amount of free press he was afforded. You’d think they’d have learned their lesson that ratings are not worth losing our democracy or inflaming an embarrassed tyrant. Is this me being naive?
Sharon, I wouldn't put this on MSM. I've already seen very qualified people expressing their concern about the line and Biden owns it. Not a 'gaffe' from my point of view but a strategic error of note. I don't think that it can be missed or dismissed. We don't know the consequences, but I'd say the line was regrettable.
I suspect it has not been much of an "embarrassment" for Putin: That is western propaganda spin. Russia's principal initual goal has been to degrade Ukraine's military capability, especially of the Ukrainian right-wing neo-Nazi military formations, and most especially in the Donbass area.
Russia has refrained from wholesale assaults on Jkrainian cities, with the significant exception of Maruipol, where the so-called Azov battalion (regiment) has a fanatic attachment, and where these neo-Nazis have been holding the civilian population hostage.
Oh, are we a minority, Lisa! I don't know if it has anything to do with being in recovery from the former president, but many subscribers seem to me to be oversensitive to any fault found with Biden. It may also have to do with the weakness of democracy in the USA. Do you think, paradoxically, that there is an undemocratic flavor to it? I don't mind being in the minority as it isn't a new experience me. Understandably, it feels good to hear Biden talk tough and express what the people themselves (including me) feel about Putin. It is one thing to have your feelings ratified by the president and for the world to hear but another to speak strategically in war time -- why inflame the enemy when his failure in Ukraine is burning bright under klieg lights. Why take any of that negative attention away from Putin?. My uneasiness is the reluctance of quite a few to even consider that perspective.
I hate to jump in here, but I think it’s more a wartime mentality that any harsh criticism of “our” side provides ammunition to the other side, be that our own home-grown autocratic, anti-democracy Republicans, or Putin and Russia. As I said in another comment, I don’t know if what Biden said was a mistake or not. None of us can truly know that, at least not yet. I think it likely that we’re all at least partly right - the comment can both provide ammunition to Putin and reflect western thinking and not matter very much at the same time. And I completely agree with you that we must support people’s right to make these criticisms. I defend your right to do so, but the fear of weakening our own position by doing so is, I think, not entirely misplaced. Thank goodness we still live somewhere where this kind of political discourse is possible.
KR, I appreciate your thoughtful weighing of our various responses. Thank you. (The second heart is a result of me not being about to open the first.)
My Ability to ❤️ Comments isn’t working well again today, too. Thank you.
KR, thank you.
❤️ KR, I appreciate your thoughtful weighing of our various responses. Thank you.
Trap? Explain