We should eject all members of our government who support Putin. They all took oaths of office and violated the Constitution. Same with those who refused to support the Jan 6th 2021 investigation.And the same for those who refused to allow even a debate about voting rights.
Here Here! If only… starting with the disgraceful & disrespectful behavior of the two females at President Biden’s SOTU address on Tuesday, at the precise moment that it occurred. RIP Beau / God Love Joe and Jill
Professor, Though your first 3 suggestions for helping Ukraine are recommendations around which we all can rally, with all due respect, how does one set aside his or her frustration and anger towards the millions of Americans who are not bothered by leadership that would consolidate power and subjugate the rule of law to an individual? My point is that if we are to rescue democracy from a terrifying polarization that threatens to pulverize the country, we damn well better acknowledge its existence. Be assured that I don’t mean to sound disrespectful. At the same time, I won’t turn away from the avarice that threatens to strike a fatal weakening of American civic institutions.
I'd guess that about 20 percent of our fellow countrymen are committed Trumpers who will not accept reality. I wouldn't bother with them. But that leaves a large number of people who call themselves Republican or conservative or who lean in these directions, or who are confused about what to believe. These are the people who I am reaching out to, especially now that they can see as well as I can see the malice of neo-fascism as its cruelty is playing out in real time in Ukraine. We will not rescue democracy from the Trumpers (at least not anytime soon) but we can use this opportunity to help remind everyone else -- the vast majority -- of the ideals that unite us, and why those ideals are so important to the future of America and the world.
Professor, Though I appreciate you noting people to whom you are reaching out, I imagine we would agree that people, overall, would be less angry and more reasonable were it not for media that continue poisoning the conversation by peddling outright falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Though I don’t have a ready solution to offer, the situation clearly demands one.
Professor, is it possible Putin's Russia represents a kind of "petro-facism", i.e. a unique chimera of post-20th Century government in the model of other so-called fascisms (as described by the late Professor A. James Gregor)?
(He predicted the rise of an Islamofascism which - depending on how one views the Arab Spring - may or may not have come to pass... and his work sets aside China... but it's not intuitively clear as to whether the economic component of the political dictatorship is the one which differentiates Putin's Russia in this context...)
Hoping that's true. So far, I haven't been able to get anywhere. They have a different perspective on the cause. We just agree not to bring up politics in any form. I hope the view is more promising from other locations.
In my state, the Republican controlled Florida House on Thursday avoided taking a stance on divesting the state’s $300 million in investments in Russian companies.
Where it might be possible to change any MAGA supporter's mind by focusing on our common distress and desire to help Ukraine and thwart Putin, I'm all for looking past their terrifying blindness. Where it's another reason for Democrat leaders to kick the can even further down the road to avoid dealing with harsh reality, no. Here, I haven't seen olive-branch opportunity. MAGA supporters are blaming Biden.
I think that there are some.... Many Slavic MAGA types have had an attitude adjustment. I also think that recent revelations about the extent of Russian involvement in our lives will sink in. Many coupon clippers, those who live on investments, have already suffered. For example, in Kentucky, a state fund is the second-largest shareholder of a Russian bank that is now nearly insolvent. If the money is still invested, reports say the retirement fund would have now lost nearly 95% of its value. The top-3 institutional holders in that Russian bank are all from Kentucky.
UPDATE: The Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System now says they sold their stake in the Russian bank for a $3.2 million loss on February 23, 2022. It remains baffling that Kentucky would invest so heavily in a Russian bank.
He received millions for the 2016 cycle Senate Republican campaign from Igor Deripaska, identified as a Russian operative in the Mueller Report. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Deripaska
Regardless, the corpus was in RUSSIA. Someone sold it to them. They can't just write off the loss. This also implicates the auditors. The FBI should be all over this.
The investment was an over-the-counter ADR stock in the Russian bank, so it was probably legal for the fund to buy it. However, it was an inappropriate and unethical investment. Better suited for stock market speculators, not a fund that is supposed to protect retiree money. The pension fund management should be investigated and at least fired from their jobs.
Mo777Jet ; I think we are in peril if the dark money and misinformation spreads more. With Governors like Ron DeSantis getting financed by Russian money, our weakening economy could make it more difficult to help ourselves. Russian money has bought some seats in our government. Rupert Murdoch and his 'news' empire is brainwashing people here. Like People in Russia who are now cut off from the rest of the world, with Putin's Iron curtain. We are closer to becoming like Russians or even Ukrainians than we think if this is not stopped!
1. Go through your portfolio and divest from Russia. Your financial managers will whine that it can't be done. Yes, it can be done.
2. Demand that your state divest from Russia, as California has done. Talk to your senators and governors.
3. Adopt a Ukrainian family. This means that you make yourself responsible for watching over the family's legal and physical needs. Putin has stated that he considers Ukrainians Nazis. He intends murder and incarceration of Ukrainians. We need to prepare for this by protecting Ukrainian people. Organize through your charities, religious groups, etc. During WWII, my grandmother joined Abba Hillel Silver's congregation in Cleveland. Through his congregation's work she was able to find her nephew and niece who survived the camps and send them money, clothes, food. We are going to need a support system like this.
Everyone I talk with are horrified at the extent of devastation Putin has intentionally inflicted on a peaceful nation and its people. The man is a monster and cares nothing about the lives of people, including children and the elderly. In his demented quest to be a big man, he’s done nothing more than show the world what a small man he really is.
I’ve donated and will continue to do so. Having these links is very helpful as most people don’t know which charities are trustworthy. Every morning I thank god that Biden is at the helm during this crisis, I shudder to think how much worse this would be if the last guy was. Thanks for sharing this information.
Susan ; Thank you for donating. I am amazed at the number of older 'conservative' men I have heard (4 in the past week), who have said that ' if tRump was still in office we would not have seen this happen'. Their words were identical: 'he would have opened oil production here and we would not be giving a penny to Putin'. I don't watch Fox 'News', but would not be surprised if they all do. Biden is much better as a President.
With Trump supporters in my family, I have to "watch" Fox News a few times a day. What you report is exactly what Fox News is telling them. So , yes, they are Fox News watchers!
I just donated, and I sent more than I thought was really wise because the pain of donation should be on a scale with the pain of the Ukrainian people. #fuckrussianwarship
As the Professor knows, NATO is a deterrent not an aggressor. Scattered throughout this page are a number of folks who are trying to assign blame for the Putin aggression on the United States, NATO and President Biden. This is wrongheaded. This is a Putin and Fox News trope. The only reason that NATO is a "threat" to Putin is because the organization is a main reason Putin hasn't previously expanded his dictatorship into the Balkans and greater Europe. As long as we have a tyrant in Russia with his big ambitions, we need NATO to draw the line on his aggression. Now that the tyrant has trotted out the nuclear threat I worry that a big part of the deterrence is mooted. Western powers are right to implement financial sanctions that can be sustained indefinitely. Over time sanctions will impoverish Russia and its thieving oligarchs. Putin is playing the long game, so taking away his money is taking away his time. Taking money away from the thieves is potentially taking away Putin's internal support! These are some ways to reduce Putin's options without using our own nuclear capabilities. So it's NATO plus sanctions to do the job.
Thinking the “Truman Doctrine” and our Foreign Policies may yield some thoughts on the matter Benjamin. Putins murderous invasion is deplorable indeed, we should do everything in our humanitarian power to aid those ravaged by wars everywhere! However our global military aggression and corruption are symptomatic of a capitalist system of governance, with a Military Industrial Economy…
". . .and recognize our shared commitment to democracy. . ." Democracy is no longer an American ideal. The American ideal is about competition and MONEY.
Late last night I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?
They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot
The screen door slammed when Putin invaded Ukraine and we are looking through that screen to see the Big Yellow Taxi drive away.
anagnorisis - the point in a play, novel, etc., in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character's true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances.
A week ago, I had never heard of that word. I saw it, wondered, and looked it up. . .ZAP!
All of a sudden, with the barbarians (ba ba ba) at the gate, we become altruist. Altruism is just a momentary state. Putin and the Ukraine are just symptoms of a culture, a culture gone awry.
Good Joni Mitchell song. I wonder if it could sum up our 'frog in water that could be warming, eventually to a boil' status with our domestic situation. i.e. the threat is all around us and across the aisle. Maybe freezing the Russian oligarchs assets (too bad they are not outside and hungry like the Ukes), will slow the 'Putification' of our own country!
Love Joni! Further research into the fascist nazi oligarchs in the Ukraine yields the Azov battalions and its oligarch founders, run by Andriy Bilesky. A-white nationalist nazi everyone here should research if they care to understand Putins deplorable murderous invasion.
There’s a lot of information to parse as I noted above with the “Truman Doctrine” Foreign Policy and NATO…
Since we seem to be going through a period of heightened tensions on all fronts, I think it is incumbent on us to remember that the Russian people are under the yoke of oppression and denial of their rights as human beings. They are caught in the middle of a conflict that they did not start and have not advocated.. The tyranny and outrage that Vladimir Putin is inflicting on the Ukrainians is also inflicted on his own citizens. We are right now a very divided nation and we have lost a lot of respect and civility toward our fellow citizens of different points of view. I do think it is also incumbent on us to remember to treat each other kindly and support our Ukrainian friends by supporting each other and trying to raise the bar on kindness toward people we don't know as well as toward those we do. You also have to admire the courage and conviction of VOldymyrr Zelensky, a model for us all. And also for our leaders.
Maybe the gas stations could help. They could set up a group of pumps with a $2.00 per gallon surcharge to help us help each other.
All the $2.00 per gallon would be collected and put into a fund for gas relief. People needing help could submit their gas receipts for a rebate of $.50 per gallon purchased as funds allow.
That’s a voluntary “redistribution” of funds that could help all of us support Ukraine by hurting Putin’s money machine.
We personally don’t use a lot of gas but I’d get mine at the $2 per gallon help a neighbor pump.
Thank you for the suggestions. I wholeheartedly agree. I am puzzled why has Biden not offered help to refugees including an offer to bring at least some to the US?
On Thursday, Biden ordered temporary protected status for 75.100 Ukrainians, shielding them from deportation and allowing them to obtain work permits. According to the Internet Biden has limited authority without Congressional action. "The number of European refugees the US can accept is capped at 10,000 for the current fiscal year, and as of January 31, 335 of those slots had already been filled, mostly by Ukrainians. Biden could unilaterally increase the number of spots allocated to Europeans and others fleeing Ukraine, such as Africans. Given that an estimated 4 million Ukrainian refugees are projected to flee their country in the coming weeks, it’s possible that many more than 10,000 Ukrainians may want to seek refuge in the US."
We should eject all members of our government who support Putin. They all took oaths of office and violated the Constitution. Same with those who refused to support the Jan 6th 2021 investigation.And the same for those who refused to allow even a debate about voting rights.
@Laurie Blair-
Here Here! If only… starting with the disgraceful & disrespectful behavior of the two females at President Biden’s SOTU address on Tuesday, at the precise moment that it occurred. RIP Beau / God Love Joe and Jill
Too bad they were not ushered out!
What they obviously don't seem to realize is that tRump would not hesitate to have them dispatched if they insulted him at a rally!
We do not need or want such actors in our government. They seek to distract and ultimately destroy our way of governing.
They were behaving more like juveniles who disrespect rules than congress women.
Professor, Though your first 3 suggestions for helping Ukraine are recommendations around which we all can rally, with all due respect, how does one set aside his or her frustration and anger towards the millions of Americans who are not bothered by leadership that would consolidate power and subjugate the rule of law to an individual? My point is that if we are to rescue democracy from a terrifying polarization that threatens to pulverize the country, we damn well better acknowledge its existence. Be assured that I don’t mean to sound disrespectful. At the same time, I won’t turn away from the avarice that threatens to strike a fatal weakening of American civic institutions.
I'd guess that about 20 percent of our fellow countrymen are committed Trumpers who will not accept reality. I wouldn't bother with them. But that leaves a large number of people who call themselves Republican or conservative or who lean in these directions, or who are confused about what to believe. These are the people who I am reaching out to, especially now that they can see as well as I can see the malice of neo-fascism as its cruelty is playing out in real time in Ukraine. We will not rescue democracy from the Trumpers (at least not anytime soon) but we can use this opportunity to help remind everyone else -- the vast majority -- of the ideals that unite us, and why those ideals are so important to the future of America and the world.
Professor, Though I appreciate you noting people to whom you are reaching out, I imagine we would agree that people, overall, would be less angry and more reasonable were it not for media that continue poisoning the conversation by peddling outright falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Though I don’t have a ready solution to offer, the situation clearly demands one.
Professor, is it possible Putin's Russia represents a kind of "petro-facism", i.e. a unique chimera of post-20th Century government in the model of other so-called fascisms (as described by the late Professor A. James Gregor)?
(He predicted the rise of an Islamofascism which - depending on how one views the Arab Spring - may or may not have come to pass... and his work sets aside China... but it's not intuitively clear as to whether the economic component of the political dictatorship is the one which differentiates Putin's Russia in this context...)
Hoping that's true. So far, I haven't been able to get anywhere. They have a different perspective on the cause. We just agree not to bring up politics in any form. I hope the view is more promising from other locations.
In my state, the Republican controlled Florida House on Thursday avoided taking a stance on divesting the state’s $300 million in investments in Russian companies.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article259004888.html#storylink=cpy
Recent revelations include allegations that Republican candidates have been taking Russian campaign contributions. Included was Ron DeSantis, our governor. https://twitter.com/KevinCate/status/1497724747349696520?s=20&t=WYfK4Di03gW1sHRk9ypceg&fbclid=IwAR1cox-5mjZ11Im6-quBvb3Qef82PdeUlwKggrYYAMRxhZkyKSatUWeP-88
I assume this is happening in other states. DeSantis is leading in the polls. We need to register more Democrats. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Daniel, Thank you for the links. I would add that we also need to turbo-charge turnout nationwide.
Where it might be possible to change any MAGA supporter's mind by focusing on our common distress and desire to help Ukraine and thwart Putin, I'm all for looking past their terrifying blindness. Where it's another reason for Democrat leaders to kick the can even further down the road to avoid dealing with harsh reality, no. Here, I haven't seen olive-branch opportunity. MAGA supporters are blaming Biden.
I think that there are some.... Many Slavic MAGA types have had an attitude adjustment. I also think that recent revelations about the extent of Russian involvement in our lives will sink in. Many coupon clippers, those who live on investments, have already suffered. For example, in Kentucky, a state fund is the second-largest shareholder of a Russian bank that is now nearly insolvent. If the money is still invested, reports say the retirement fund would have now lost nearly 95% of its value. The top-3 institutional holders in that Russian bank are all from Kentucky.
UPDATE: The Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System now says they sold their stake in the Russian bank for a $3.2 million loss on February 23, 2022. It remains baffling that Kentucky would invest so heavily in a Russian bank.
Hmmm, maybe ask Mitch about it....
He received millions for the 2016 cycle Senate Republican campaign from Igor Deripaska, identified as a Russian operative in the Mueller Report. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Deripaska
I think Igor's yacht was seized in Maldives.
Moscow Mitch influence?
The bank had a big dividend yield (because it was a risky investment!). The pension system claims they made enough in dividends to offset the loss.
Regardless, the corpus was in RUSSIA. Someone sold it to them. They can't just write off the loss. This also implicates the auditors. The FBI should be all over this.
The investment was an over-the-counter ADR stock in the Russian bank, so it was probably legal for the fund to buy it. However, it was an inappropriate and unethical investment. Better suited for stock market speculators, not a fund that is supposed to protect retiree money. The pension fund management should be investigated and at least fired from their jobs.
Mo777Jet ; I think we are in peril if the dark money and misinformation spreads more. With Governors like Ron DeSantis getting financed by Russian money, our weakening economy could make it more difficult to help ourselves. Russian money has bought some seats in our government. Rupert Murdoch and his 'news' empire is brainwashing people here. Like People in Russia who are now cut off from the rest of the world, with Putin's Iron curtain. We are closer to becoming like Russians or even Ukrainians than we think if this is not stopped!
Maybe anction Russian oil and gas but then give a small amount of assistance for gas prices to anyone in the poverty level?
A few more things we can do:
1. Go through your portfolio and divest from Russia. Your financial managers will whine that it can't be done. Yes, it can be done.
2. Demand that your state divest from Russia, as California has done. Talk to your senators and governors.
3. Adopt a Ukrainian family. This means that you make yourself responsible for watching over the family's legal and physical needs. Putin has stated that he considers Ukrainians Nazis. He intends murder and incarceration of Ukrainians. We need to prepare for this by protecting Ukrainian people. Organize through your charities, religious groups, etc. During WWII, my grandmother joined Abba Hillel Silver's congregation in Cleveland. Through his congregation's work she was able to find her nephew and niece who survived the camps and send them money, clothes, food. We are going to need a support system like this.
4. Are you a hacker? Join up. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/04/technology/ukraine-russia-hackers.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20220305&instance_id=54953&nl=todaysheadlines®i_id=21979427&segment_id=84735&user_id=fc5a5feccefed441688c186866dcef86
Everyone I talk with are horrified at the extent of devastation Putin has intentionally inflicted on a peaceful nation and its people. The man is a monster and cares nothing about the lives of people, including children and the elderly. In his demented quest to be a big man, he’s done nothing more than show the world what a small man he really is.
I’ve donated and will continue to do so. Having these links is very helpful as most people don’t know which charities are trustworthy. Every morning I thank god that Biden is at the helm during this crisis, I shudder to think how much worse this would be if the last guy was. Thanks for sharing this information.
Susan ; Thank you for donating. I am amazed at the number of older 'conservative' men I have heard (4 in the past week), who have said that ' if tRump was still in office we would not have seen this happen'. Their words were identical: 'he would have opened oil production here and we would not be giving a penny to Putin'. I don't watch Fox 'News', but would not be surprised if they all do. Biden is much better as a President.
With Trump supporters in my family, I have to "watch" Fox News a few times a day. What you report is exactly what Fox News is telling them. So , yes, they are Fox News watchers!
Not surprised at all!
If you are Canadian the federal government will match funds donated to the Canadian Red Cross for Ukraine.
I just donated, and I sent more than I thought was really wise because the pain of donation should be on a scale with the pain of the Ukrainian people. #fuckrussianwarship
Thank you for donating, Benjamin R. Stockton.
As the Professor knows, NATO is a deterrent not an aggressor. Scattered throughout this page are a number of folks who are trying to assign blame for the Putin aggression on the United States, NATO and President Biden. This is wrongheaded. This is a Putin and Fox News trope. The only reason that NATO is a "threat" to Putin is because the organization is a main reason Putin hasn't previously expanded his dictatorship into the Balkans and greater Europe. As long as we have a tyrant in Russia with his big ambitions, we need NATO to draw the line on his aggression. Now that the tyrant has trotted out the nuclear threat I worry that a big part of the deterrence is mooted. Western powers are right to implement financial sanctions that can be sustained indefinitely. Over time sanctions will impoverish Russia and its thieving oligarchs. Putin is playing the long game, so taking away his money is taking away his time. Taking money away from the thieves is potentially taking away Putin's internal support! These are some ways to reduce Putin's options without using our own nuclear capabilities. So it's NATO plus sanctions to do the job.
Thinking the “Truman Doctrine” and our Foreign Policies may yield some thoughts on the matter Benjamin. Putins murderous invasion is deplorable indeed, we should do everything in our humanitarian power to aid those ravaged by wars everywhere! However our global military aggression and corruption are symptomatic of a capitalist system of governance, with a Military Industrial Economy…
Thank you, Robert Reich, for the information on where to send support.
". . .and recognize our shared commitment to democracy. . ." Democracy is no longer an American ideal. The American ideal is about competition and MONEY.
Late last night I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?
They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot
The screen door slammed when Putin invaded Ukraine and we are looking through that screen to see the Big Yellow Taxi drive away.
anagnorisis - the point in a play, novel, etc., in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character's true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances.
A week ago, I had never heard of that word. I saw it, wondered, and looked it up. . .ZAP!
All of a sudden, with the barbarians (ba ba ba) at the gate, we become altruist. Altruism is just a momentary state. Putin and the Ukraine are just symptoms of a culture, a culture gone awry.
"Don't it always seem to go. . ."
Good Joni Mitchell song. I wonder if it could sum up our 'frog in water that could be warming, eventually to a boil' status with our domestic situation. i.e. the threat is all around us and across the aisle. Maybe freezing the Russian oligarchs assets (too bad they are not outside and hungry like the Ukes), will slow the 'Putification' of our own country!
Or freezing their assets could keep the pot from boiling sooner? That is, less money going into our opponents' campaigns ?
Love Joni! Further research into the fascist nazi oligarchs in the Ukraine yields the Azov battalions and its oligarch founders, run by Andriy Bilesky. A-white nationalist nazi everyone here should research if they care to understand Putins deplorable murderous invasion.
There’s a lot of information to parse as I noted above with the “Truman Doctrine” Foreign Policy and NATO…
Putrefaction?
Putinization?
As always, I appreciate your sound advice, Professor Reich, and am also appreciative of the thoughtful dialogue your posts inspire.
I made a donation through a link for food donations
Since we seem to be going through a period of heightened tensions on all fronts, I think it is incumbent on us to remember that the Russian people are under the yoke of oppression and denial of their rights as human beings. They are caught in the middle of a conflict that they did not start and have not advocated.. The tyranny and outrage that Vladimir Putin is inflicting on the Ukrainians is also inflicted on his own citizens. We are right now a very divided nation and we have lost a lot of respect and civility toward our fellow citizens of different points of view. I do think it is also incumbent on us to remember to treat each other kindly and support our Ukrainian friends by supporting each other and trying to raise the bar on kindness toward people we don't know as well as toward those we do. You also have to admire the courage and conviction of VOldymyrr Zelensky, a model for us all. And also for our leaders.
Maybe the gas stations could help. They could set up a group of pumps with a $2.00 per gallon surcharge to help us help each other.
All the $2.00 per gallon would be collected and put into a fund for gas relief. People needing help could submit their gas receipts for a rebate of $.50 per gallon purchased as funds allow.
That’s a voluntary “redistribution” of funds that could help all of us support Ukraine by hurting Putin’s money machine.
We personally don’t use a lot of gas but I’d get mine at the $2 per gallon help a neighbor pump.
What do you think?
Good if you can afford it. Nice because it is voluntary. Would not be subject to filibuster or veto or lawsuits etc etc ad nauseam.
Thank you! You wrote so concisely snd beautifully. I so appreciate having action steps I can take to help.
Thank you for the suggestions. I wholeheartedly agree. I am puzzled why has Biden not offered help to refugees including an offer to bring at least some to the US?
On Thursday, Biden ordered temporary protected status for 75.100 Ukrainians, shielding them from deportation and allowing them to obtain work permits. According to the Internet Biden has limited authority without Congressional action. "The number of European refugees the US can accept is capped at 10,000 for the current fiscal year, and as of January 31, 335 of those slots had already been filled, mostly by Ukrainians. Biden could unilaterally increase the number of spots allocated to Europeans and others fleeing Ukraine, such as Africans. Given that an estimated 4 million Ukrainian refugees are projected to flee their country in the coming weeks, it’s possible that many more than 10,000 Ukrainians may want to seek refuge in the US."