Today, President Joe Biden ended four days in Europe with a landmark speech. After meeting with world leaders in Brussels, he traveled to Poland, where he visited American troops stationed there, met with humanitarian workers and refugees, talked with Polish president Andrzej Duda, and, finally, addressed an assembled crowd.
I think this was the best speech given by our president. I wish the MSM would stop second guessing & explaining him. It's offensive & unnecessary. He knew what he said & he meant it.
Get some rest, Heather. As always, your commitment and dedication to keeping us informed is deeply appreciated and valued. I am grateful everyday Trump is not President during this difficult and treacherous time. Biden cares about people and we all know Trump cares about only Trump.
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
This should not be viewed as a gaffe. Not to be regretted. This is a speech to be proud of - start to finish. Putin did all he could to choose the President of the United States - more than once. For some in our country, that was OK. And stating the obvious is a gaffe? Good grief.
For President Biden to say to the Russian people they are not our enemy and that Putin should not remain in power is a simple statement of fact - one which is consistent with previous statements by Biden and other world leaders: Putin is a murderer. Putin has committed war crimes. Putin continues to slaughter innocent civilians - the elderly and children. He bombs hospitals, schools and shelters with no military presence. He is decimating entire cities. He is about to cause famine across the globe as one of the major producers of wheat can't plant. Many of those that survive will be severely malnourished. And Americans at home will be whining about inflation.
And Putin shouldn't be removed from office? That should have happened long ago. Biden is telling the Russian people the truth about their dictator.
I am beyond weary of the tearing down of Joseph Biden. First he is "too weak and not doing enough". Then he "is too tough" or made a "gaffe". Does anyone disagree with the fact that Putin is a danger to humanity and should be removed from office? Really? This is one man's war. That one man needs to go.
No, this was not a gaffe. This was a message to the Russian people about what their dictator is doing and why they need to find a new leader. Sounds smart to me. Biden speaks the truth. Be proud.
I'm glad to hear that President Biden's remarks are being subtitled in Russian, so that there's at least a chance that his words might reach both Ukrainians and Russians.
Thank you, Dr. Heather. Go to bed! 💜💜💜 Your work is priceless to us.
President Biden said what I have been saying for days, weeks, months, years and even decades, right up to including that Putin has canceled his nation's progress and participation in the 21st Century, and "“For God’s sake this man cannot remain in power.”
I have also said this about our own nation, with statements that Republicans have been killing our potential, taking us backward and that each recent Republican president and many of their elected officials "“For God’s sake [they] cannot remain in power” or even close to power. The same should be said for FOX.
I lay awake at night thinking about what my next letter should say to my Trump loving siblings when everyday practical issues, maintenance and solutions are thwarted by conspiracy theories, lies, misinformation some of which they know, but claim it's for a good cause, just like Putin says it's for a good cause.
Am reading about Maine families sending their sons, fathers and husbands off to fight the Civil War to save the Union. Even women went to tend to the wounded. Some men went to join the Christian Commission to provide religious support to soldiers. They didn't pray for cruel violent victory and domination. They prayed for a quick end to the war and for the injured, suffering and dead. They witnessed heads, arms, legs, hands and feet blow off or cut off in surgery. The witnessed death and dying by illness and disease like typhoid. They drank from mud puddles on the march in hot sun, because they were without water. They wrote home and kept journals. They were Bowdoin and divinity college graduates, lumbermen, fishermen, lawyers, and ministers. They had traveled the world or much of the United States living in Maine to Minnesota to Gettysburg. They had a foundation in and sense of responsibility for democracy that many Americans today seem to be unconscious of.
I have no idea how to reach unconscious Americans. Many of them don't read or talk, let alone deal with anything that doesn't entertain, comfort and protect them from challenging thought and physical sacrifice.
Heather, you have contextualized this momentous speech with such élan, giving it the extra depth only great historians can impart. Thank you!
The difficult and profound work of democracy must be undertaken by all -- "[m]y country as well” must do the "hard work of democracy." These words can't ring more true! We must prepare ourselves to work even harder to protect our democracy and our freedoms!
'"it’s not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty,' he said. 'All of us…must do the hard work of democracy each and every day. My country as well.' His message 'for all freedom-loving nations,' he said, is that 'we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.' In the end, though, 'the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.' 'We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.'"
I listened to Biden’s speech while he was flanked by dignitaries from our NATO nations. It is astounding that our President carries that much weight on his shoulders; that other nations look up to him for guidance. We should be very proud of that and for the fact that he called out the monster by name. MSM can stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. They aren’t necessarily in the room, behind closed doors where negotiations are taking place. They are receiving their info from “their sources”. I also liked the fact that Joe spoke about how things in the US need changes. Everyone has been fearful of Putin and his like for many years. Because of the internet, social media, Anonymous’s ability to hack into Russia’s banks and the oligarchs accounts, we are privy to see that little man, Vlad, has been exposed for everything he is, a thief, and a murderer. Good for Joe!! Now get Ms. Griner out of Russia.
Why should it be considered a gaffe to say what the majority of the world thinks? Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world would be better off without Putin in power, just as the US, Europe and most of the remainder of the world is now better off without tfg in the White House. We may as well deal with him from a position of telling the unvarnished truth. The West can still talk to him, still negotiate for cessation of conflict while openly preferring that he no longer be in power. That's different than provoking an escalation of conflict, which is best achieved by allowing fighting to cross a border, including the border back into Russia. It's a farce to suggest that we can supply endless anti-tank weapons without risk of provoking escalation, but 20 fighter planes would cross the invisible line. Putin has clearly demonstrated he can fabricate his own rationale for escalation. Repaint them, fuel them, arm them and leave them out unattended and some Ukrainian pilots can "steal" them from wherever they are parked, for Pete's sake. Let them dribble in one or two at a time. Russia is unabashedly utilizing every tool in their toolbox aside from WMDs, so why pretend that we're just spectators with Bandaids and Tylenol to offer.
No one questioned Reagan or called out “gaffe,” or stated Reagan was outside his American President lane of responsibility when he called out then Soviet dictator Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” I’m tired of the press/media shredding Biden. It’s exhausting. If legit journalist integrity doesn’t get a backbone soon, it may find itself shot down completely as it is in Russia now.
"For God's sake: this man cannot remain in power." We could say the same about some governors of US states . . . So my question is: now that people are finally paying attention to the wackadoo that is Ginni Thomas, are we going to be able to get rid of the despicable Clarence?
I think Biden has risen to new heights in this his greatest challenge while in office amidst many other challenges. His statement about removing Putin from office did in no way imply that he was going to do so- it was a statement that Putin should be removed from office. If anything, his speech reached out to the Russian people. They themselves are victims of Putin's cruel dictatorship. If anyone is going to remove Putin, it will have to be the Russian people themselves. And if they do, Biden has assured them that they can count on American support.
Let us begin by immediately creating the 2nd Global Fund. Let us begin with a Trillion Dollar investment in scalable clean, green renewable energy technologies and the storage solutions that dramatically accelerate the worldwide energy transformation and break the deadly global fossil addiction.
A Squanderable Abundance of Energy is "The" game changer for all of humanity ... the way forward that ends the carnage and needless suffering of global material scarcity.
This is the time, this is the challenge and the opportunity ... this is the gift of these trying times.
Did HCR treat the last line of President Biden's speech at Royal Castle in the Poland too lightly -- much too lightly?
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
'That last line seemed a logical conclusion to the argument Biden has been making about the struggle between democracy and autocracy, rallying democratic countries to stay unified against Putin as his troops smash Ukraine. But it prompted a flurry of media stories saying Biden had made a gaffe, changing his long-standing insistence that the U.S. is not engaging in regime change but rather is trying to defend Ukraine’s right to exist independently of Russia.' (Letter)
Biden's line a 'gaffe'? “For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.” … 'an unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder.
Biden's line was in my opinion far more consequential than a 'gaffe'. Here we are in the midst of Putin seeking to wreak Ukraine and the threat of using nuclear weapons is not idle talk.
I don't think it a mystery how Putin took Biden's line. It came at a time when Putin is suffering a crucial loss to his sense of invincibility, Biden's line was extremely provocative. It is not so much how the media toys with Joe's costly mouthing; it is about what Putin makes of it, and he won't forget.
Personally, I believe this was one of Biden's best speeches ever. There was no controversy, it was to the point addressing a blistering fact that Russia chose to invade Ukraine. This invasion is the definition of unmitigated provocation and destruction by Russia. Biden drove that point home.
I can't express how very pleased I am that Biden did not blame the people of Russia. When I was in our local Ukrainian store yesterday, the owner was addressing a person that said, "I don't want to buy anything from Russia". He very calmly said, "the Russian people did not do this, Putin did. Please show your displeasure to Putin, the Russian people are good people". As I stood in line to pay for my items, I thought how incredible this store owners resilience is. I know his family in Ukraine has lost everything.
A point I do keep in mind as I am fortunate enough to be able to get in my car, drive to my home and sleep in a warm bed at night. Those facts are not lost on me.
Lucky for us that Trump and his kids aren't ruling our country at this fraught time. He and Pompeo would have, in their admiration for Putin and his autocracy, not supported Ukraine and not helped rally opposition to the invasion. I really hope that many, many Americans recall this in the 2024 national election cycle.
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
And right there is where Biden demonstrated he is 99% of what we need, and that the old saying "99 percent's a bitch and 100 percent is a breeze" is so true.
As much as everyone who heard him say that might agree with him (I do), that's not something someone "playing the game" does at his level, not the afternoon of the day in which the morning began with the Russian Defense Ministry announcing they would use nuclear weapons if "the existence of the state were threatened." We are dealing with a guy who has said he can't imagine living in a world in which "Russia does not have its proper place," a guy who thinks that proper place is leading the Empire of Eurasia, which stretches "from Dublin to Vladivostok" in the world of his crazy political philosopher Dugin, a guy who subscribes to Louis XIV and "l'etat c'est moi."
That damn Irish temper is something someone in Biden's position should have learned to control a helluva long time ago, given the years of political experience he has. You believe it in your heart and then you keep it there, by biting your tongue, hard enough to draw blood if need be, before you let it out. That was just plain Bog Irish Ignorant.
Napoleon said it best: "Never interrupt an enemy who is defeating himself." Putin's generals have managed to convince him they've lost, and they're working on an "off-ramp" by saying "Yeah, we only wanted to knock down Kyiv so we'd distract the Ukrainians while we finished taking Donbas." (Anyone who believes that is probably looking forward to their gift from the Easter Bunny, delivered on the morning the sun rises in the west.) You don't give the grandson of Stalin's cook a reason to get angry all over again.
This is why Biden is as good as we can get in the circumstances and a helluva lot better than the alternative, but I hope to hell one member of his staff can say to him, privately, never publicly, "Mr. President. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. It's better to be thought an idiot than to open one's mouth and prove it." This is Unforced Stupidity.
I think this was the best speech given by our president. I wish the MSM would stop second guessing & explaining him. It's offensive & unnecessary. He knew what he said & he meant it.
Get some rest, Heather. As always, your commitment and dedication to keeping us informed is deeply appreciated and valued. I am grateful everyday Trump is not President during this difficult and treacherous time. Biden cares about people and we all know Trump cares about only Trump.
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
This should not be viewed as a gaffe. Not to be regretted. This is a speech to be proud of - start to finish. Putin did all he could to choose the President of the United States - more than once. For some in our country, that was OK. And stating the obvious is a gaffe? Good grief.
For President Biden to say to the Russian people they are not our enemy and that Putin should not remain in power is a simple statement of fact - one which is consistent with previous statements by Biden and other world leaders: Putin is a murderer. Putin has committed war crimes. Putin continues to slaughter innocent civilians - the elderly and children. He bombs hospitals, schools and shelters with no military presence. He is decimating entire cities. He is about to cause famine across the globe as one of the major producers of wheat can't plant. Many of those that survive will be severely malnourished. And Americans at home will be whining about inflation.
And Putin shouldn't be removed from office? That should have happened long ago. Biden is telling the Russian people the truth about their dictator.
I am beyond weary of the tearing down of Joseph Biden. First he is "too weak and not doing enough". Then he "is too tough" or made a "gaffe". Does anyone disagree with the fact that Putin is a danger to humanity and should be removed from office? Really? This is one man's war. That one man needs to go.
No, this was not a gaffe. This was a message to the Russian people about what their dictator is doing and why they need to find a new leader. Sounds smart to me. Biden speaks the truth. Be proud.
I'm glad to hear that President Biden's remarks are being subtitled in Russian, so that there's at least a chance that his words might reach both Ukrainians and Russians.
Thank you, Dr. Heather. Go to bed! 💜💜💜 Your work is priceless to us.
President Biden said what I have been saying for days, weeks, months, years and even decades, right up to including that Putin has canceled his nation's progress and participation in the 21st Century, and "“For God’s sake this man cannot remain in power.”
I have also said this about our own nation, with statements that Republicans have been killing our potential, taking us backward and that each recent Republican president and many of their elected officials "“For God’s sake [they] cannot remain in power” or even close to power. The same should be said for FOX.
I lay awake at night thinking about what my next letter should say to my Trump loving siblings when everyday practical issues, maintenance and solutions are thwarted by conspiracy theories, lies, misinformation some of which they know, but claim it's for a good cause, just like Putin says it's for a good cause.
Am reading about Maine families sending their sons, fathers and husbands off to fight the Civil War to save the Union. Even women went to tend to the wounded. Some men went to join the Christian Commission to provide religious support to soldiers. They didn't pray for cruel violent victory and domination. They prayed for a quick end to the war and for the injured, suffering and dead. They witnessed heads, arms, legs, hands and feet blow off or cut off in surgery. The witnessed death and dying by illness and disease like typhoid. They drank from mud puddles on the march in hot sun, because they were without water. They wrote home and kept journals. They were Bowdoin and divinity college graduates, lumbermen, fishermen, lawyers, and ministers. They had traveled the world or much of the United States living in Maine to Minnesota to Gettysburg. They had a foundation in and sense of responsibility for democracy that many Americans today seem to be unconscious of.
I have no idea how to reach unconscious Americans. Many of them don't read or talk, let alone deal with anything that doesn't entertain, comfort and protect them from challenging thought and physical sacrifice.
Heather, you have contextualized this momentous speech with such élan, giving it the extra depth only great historians can impart. Thank you!
The difficult and profound work of democracy must be undertaken by all -- "[m]y country as well” must do the "hard work of democracy." These words can't ring more true! We must prepare ourselves to work even harder to protect our democracy and our freedoms!
'"it’s not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty,' he said. 'All of us…must do the hard work of democracy each and every day. My country as well.' His message 'for all freedom-loving nations,' he said, is that 'we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.' In the end, though, 'the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.' 'We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.'"
I listened to Biden’s speech while he was flanked by dignitaries from our NATO nations. It is astounding that our President carries that much weight on his shoulders; that other nations look up to him for guidance. We should be very proud of that and for the fact that he called out the monster by name. MSM can stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. They aren’t necessarily in the room, behind closed doors where negotiations are taking place. They are receiving their info from “their sources”. I also liked the fact that Joe spoke about how things in the US need changes. Everyone has been fearful of Putin and his like for many years. Because of the internet, social media, Anonymous’s ability to hack into Russia’s banks and the oligarchs accounts, we are privy to see that little man, Vlad, has been exposed for everything he is, a thief, and a murderer. Good for Joe!! Now get Ms. Griner out of Russia.
Why should it be considered a gaffe to say what the majority of the world thinks? Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world would be better off without Putin in power, just as the US, Europe and most of the remainder of the world is now better off without tfg in the White House. We may as well deal with him from a position of telling the unvarnished truth. The West can still talk to him, still negotiate for cessation of conflict while openly preferring that he no longer be in power. That's different than provoking an escalation of conflict, which is best achieved by allowing fighting to cross a border, including the border back into Russia. It's a farce to suggest that we can supply endless anti-tank weapons without risk of provoking escalation, but 20 fighter planes would cross the invisible line. Putin has clearly demonstrated he can fabricate his own rationale for escalation. Repaint them, fuel them, arm them and leave them out unattended and some Ukrainian pilots can "steal" them from wherever they are parked, for Pete's sake. Let them dribble in one or two at a time. Russia is unabashedly utilizing every tool in their toolbox aside from WMDs, so why pretend that we're just spectators with Bandaids and Tylenol to offer.
No one questioned Reagan or called out “gaffe,” or stated Reagan was outside his American President lane of responsibility when he called out then Soviet dictator Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” I’m tired of the press/media shredding Biden. It’s exhausting. If legit journalist integrity doesn’t get a backbone soon, it may find itself shot down completely as it is in Russia now.
"For God's sake: this man cannot remain in power." We could say the same about some governors of US states . . . So my question is: now that people are finally paying attention to the wackadoo that is Ginni Thomas, are we going to be able to get rid of the despicable Clarence?
I think Biden has risen to new heights in this his greatest challenge while in office amidst many other challenges. His statement about removing Putin from office did in no way imply that he was going to do so- it was a statement that Putin should be removed from office. If anything, his speech reached out to the Russian people. They themselves are victims of Putin's cruel dictatorship. If anyone is going to remove Putin, it will have to be the Russian people themselves. And if they do, Biden has assured them that they can count on American support.
Action speaks louder and $ talks ...
Let us begin by immediately creating the 2nd Global Fund. Let us begin with a Trillion Dollar investment in scalable clean, green renewable energy technologies and the storage solutions that dramatically accelerate the worldwide energy transformation and break the deadly global fossil addiction.
A Squanderable Abundance of Energy is "The" game changer for all of humanity ... the way forward that ends the carnage and needless suffering of global material scarcity.
This is the time, this is the challenge and the opportunity ... this is the gift of these trying times.
Did HCR treat the last line of President Biden's speech at Royal Castle in the Poland too lightly -- much too lightly?
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
'That last line seemed a logical conclusion to the argument Biden has been making about the struggle between democracy and autocracy, rallying democratic countries to stay unified against Putin as his troops smash Ukraine. But it prompted a flurry of media stories saying Biden had made a gaffe, changing his long-standing insistence that the U.S. is not engaging in regime change but rather is trying to defend Ukraine’s right to exist independently of Russia.' (Letter)
Biden's line a 'gaffe'? “For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.” … 'an unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder.
Biden's line was in my opinion far more consequential than a 'gaffe'. Here we are in the midst of Putin seeking to wreak Ukraine and the threat of using nuclear weapons is not idle talk.
I don't think it a mystery how Putin took Biden's line. It came at a time when Putin is suffering a crucial loss to his sense of invincibility, Biden's line was extremely provocative. It is not so much how the media toys with Joe's costly mouthing; it is about what Putin makes of it, and he won't forget.
Thank you Heather.
Personally, I believe this was one of Biden's best speeches ever. There was no controversy, it was to the point addressing a blistering fact that Russia chose to invade Ukraine. This invasion is the definition of unmitigated provocation and destruction by Russia. Biden drove that point home.
I can't express how very pleased I am that Biden did not blame the people of Russia. When I was in our local Ukrainian store yesterday, the owner was addressing a person that said, "I don't want to buy anything from Russia". He very calmly said, "the Russian people did not do this, Putin did. Please show your displeasure to Putin, the Russian people are good people". As I stood in line to pay for my items, I thought how incredible this store owners resilience is. I know his family in Ukraine has lost everything.
A point I do keep in mind as I am fortunate enough to be able to get in my car, drive to my home and sleep in a warm bed at night. Those facts are not lost on me.
Be safe. Be well.
Lucky for us that Trump and his kids aren't ruling our country at this fraught time. He and Pompeo would have, in their admiration for Putin and his autocracy, not supported Ukraine and not helped rally opposition to the invasion. I really hope that many, many Americans recall this in the 2024 national election cycle.
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
And right there is where Biden demonstrated he is 99% of what we need, and that the old saying "99 percent's a bitch and 100 percent is a breeze" is so true.
As much as everyone who heard him say that might agree with him (I do), that's not something someone "playing the game" does at his level, not the afternoon of the day in which the morning began with the Russian Defense Ministry announcing they would use nuclear weapons if "the existence of the state were threatened." We are dealing with a guy who has said he can't imagine living in a world in which "Russia does not have its proper place," a guy who thinks that proper place is leading the Empire of Eurasia, which stretches "from Dublin to Vladivostok" in the world of his crazy political philosopher Dugin, a guy who subscribes to Louis XIV and "l'etat c'est moi."
That damn Irish temper is something someone in Biden's position should have learned to control a helluva long time ago, given the years of political experience he has. You believe it in your heart and then you keep it there, by biting your tongue, hard enough to draw blood if need be, before you let it out. That was just plain Bog Irish Ignorant.
Napoleon said it best: "Never interrupt an enemy who is defeating himself." Putin's generals have managed to convince him they've lost, and they're working on an "off-ramp" by saying "Yeah, we only wanted to knock down Kyiv so we'd distract the Ukrainians while we finished taking Donbas." (Anyone who believes that is probably looking forward to their gift from the Easter Bunny, delivered on the morning the sun rises in the west.) You don't give the grandson of Stalin's cook a reason to get angry all over again.
This is why Biden is as good as we can get in the circumstances and a helluva lot better than the alternative, but I hope to hell one member of his staff can say to him, privately, never publicly, "Mr. President. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. It's better to be thought an idiot than to open one's mouth and prove it." This is Unforced Stupidity.