Agree. Thousands of our nuclear warheads are useless in these circumstances. So are jet bombers and complex weapons systems. It's a matter of brain, not brawn.
Oh yeah! They're supporting >both< sides of the issue, too. They're against interfering while simultaneously being in favor of going in and kicking arse! That way they can have a platform for all occasions when courting votes.
I have no doubt. Interesting thing, that "Q." There's a biblical interpretation designated "Q," as well as a character from the Star Trek series/franchise - played by John de Lancie : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_de_Lancie - known as "Q," who by definition was a part of a collective consciousness calling itself "Q." Make of all that what you might imagine. Q is an intrinsically interesting designation for any "anon."
As a later addendum to this comment, in the Star Treck Q, >everybody< in the "Q Continuum" is "Q" and named "Q." While alternately, the Q biblical interpretation seems to be the effort of a collective of unnamed biblical scholars designated "Q."
I loved John de Lancie as Q in TNG. As far as a collective consciousness, I was unaware that Qanon was conscious. I just thought they were mindless drones like the Borg. :-)
Please do not call us cowards. Nuclear bombs are real and deadly threats. We are all in a tight spot with Putin and his nuke threats! Hopefully, the Russian people will get information needed to revolt, including Russian police!
There is one thing I know, the second in command will shoot the man who tries to push the button on nuclear war. That is why General Millie changed the launch codes on Trump. We cannot have a lunatic ending the world. Even the Russian generals have families.
Hawkeye ; Makes sense! It would be better to have a fake button like on a plastic kid's toy that would 'click' loudly enough to make 'em feel important! Then anesthetize 'em for awhile!
This makes sense. When dealing with such weapons of annihilation, safety is never 100%. But, it very well could be 99%. It can reasonably said that even if NATO protects the skies over Ukraine, Putin will not or not be allowed to use nukes.
But yesterday I offered some out of the box suggestions. It could be that there is a new Gorbachev we can empower. It could be that the CIA has a real life Carrie Mathieson from Homeland in settu waiting for orders.
It could be that Russia needs a revolution. Some 20 to 30 million ethnic Russians are estimated to live outside the bounds of the Russian Federation (depending on the definition of "ethnicity"). The vast majority oppose Putin and have contacts within Russia. They can be encouraged to constantly send accurate news to attempt to overcome propaganda. About 30% of the Russian population are already opposed to Putin. Add massive psyops from the west telling truth to the Russian people. IMHO individual Russian emigres will be far more credible with their compatriots than Russian propaganda was in the west.
Yesterday I identified Putin's girlfriend, reportedly mother of 4 of his kids living in Switzerland, his favorite hockey players living in DC and Pittsburgh, and others who could beseech him. There are more. I live near the Trump of Moscow, Miami resident. Aras Agalarov. friends with Putin and Trump.
I have created a petition to Putin‘s eldest daughter Dr. Mariya Putina please sign & share! She is a pediatric specialist in Moscow & definitely in his inner circle. The petition includes the photo taken of the pregnant woman being taken from the bombed hospital on a stretcher. It's in all the papers this morning that the woman and her unborn child died a horrible death despite efforts to save them. Time is of the essence & people aren't signing. It's a very simple petition aimed to reach Dr. Putina emotionally so she will use her influence. https://www.change.org/STOPtheDestructionoftheUkraine
The Ukrainians should thank God that their country is in Europe and not in Africa. The world pays little attention to African wars, even though they are just as bloody (or worst) than what is happening in Ukraine. Just ask the Ethiopians. Interesting article on the war in Ukraine by an African journalist : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60603232.
This war IS different (though I completely agree that the press treats African war differently) Many wars are proxy wars. Iran arms Hezbollah and Hamas. Putin abets Iran. Putin and Xi abet Kim. This isn't a (pure) proxy war.
Putin is sly. He saw that Trump got away with bluster, and scared Xi, by being insane and acting erratic and unpredictable. (Of course, Trump & Russian Medalist Tillerson dismantled much of the U.S.'s diplomatic options, and undermined NATO.) So, now, Putin is acting erratic and unpredictable, playing chicken, to see how much he (& Xi!!) can get away with. ...And, to see how badly it will undermine Biden in the midterms, given the QOP's macchiavellian lust for power. It clearly is not just Putin: Xi is carefully watching to see what he can do to Taiwan, and how much they can weaken America.
Sadly: At some point, NATO needs to show that it's not afraid to act.
It's a false argument that NATO (or Biden) is afraid to act. There is a very real nuclear threat that can kill everything on Earth with escalation. African wars and China wanting to get Taiwan and all that other stuff is more divide and conquer. It's a distraction from the FACT that nuclear threat is real!
Sadly, the world is constantly playing annihilation chicken, and flirting with boundaries. Kim is encouraged to misbehave in North Korea. Iran arms Hamas, which has cause to provoke Israel. Putin has operatives in Syria zealously monitoring Israel's anti-missile defenses.
Sure: We, the folks on RR's substack, are sane people. Romney asked why we couldn't allow Poland to send its MiGs. QOP voters include war hawks who think (1) Biden is too weak; (2) Saint Ronnie would never have deferred to the commies; (3) Saint Donnie would never have deferred; and (4) they must send a message to Biden & the Dems in the midterms.
Mitch ; We'll just have to look at video clips of tRump ass kissing Putin and looking like a jerk! And the clip where he says he trusts Putin more than his own security people.
Somehow no one mentions Dump t and the Russian wives. Probably coerced marriage judging by visible power dynamic. There is more than meets the eye. Also, brainwashing? Many QOPs and anchors seem... hypnotized.
Some evangelical QOP voters probably think Putin must be a messenger of their lord, because without his support of tRump, they never would have gotten a SCOTUS poised to outlaw abortion
Mitch ; All true. I saw on 'Ancient Aliens' once, a segment that explored the possibility that nuclear war has visited this planet in the past. There are large areas where the desert sands were molten and hardened like glass in such a way that only the extreme heat of a nuclear blast could have done. There are many artifacts that suggest space travel happened and artifacts and scrolls that depict ancient wars in the skies. This could be deja vu if we are not lucky.
So true So sad So wrong. I do feel helpless and would like a way to help all but right now we are powerless unless we address the aggressors. Now go to the Russian people and plead.
Very few No and throughout history have the will or the courage to face the reality of what you have said here. It is wrong. It is sad. But it is true. We simply don’t have it in our genes to sacrifice if the clear benefit to our personal lives are not at stake.
"We" Americans don't have it in us. But, the Poles and Ukrainians have borne the brunt of Stalin's and Hitler's slaughters and purges. btw - Why did Poland only offer to send the MiGs via a U.S. base in Germany? Why does Israel fear offending Putin so much, and losing his permission to attack Iran's arms transfers to Hezbollah at Syrian depots?
Can things can be accomplished in back channels, hidden from the press, and with deniability? The media made a big deal over Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Poland via trains, and Poland filling the eastbound trains with food and supplies. Then, Putin takes out the trains.
Why can't Poland, Hungary or Romania play the erratic and unpredictable game of chicken, due to Russia's past aggressions, with Biden publically acting as if he cannot restrain our NATO allies from reacting to Russia's 21st century bullying due to all its 20th century bullying?
I agree that media is tucking plans to help Ukraine by blasting out information without check. Continually reporting WHERE Kiev citizens are hiding from bombs, WHAT weapons are being shipped to whom, etc., these MIG planes could be there already -- if it were not for the news media trumpeting every single strategic decision that crosses anyone's mind.
I was too pre-occupied with thoughts of war yesterday, when suggesting other NATO countries play erratic games of chicken.
Of course, defiant diplomacy is much saner & safer, as long as EU diplomats are willing to become martyrs to keep the trains running and delivering food & medicine!!
Defiant deplomacy? No so sane, without a ceasefire. A stalling tactic of the agressor. Ukrainian president is to naiive, saying the talks are... going well... to bolster his nation. Meanwhile giving the world a spurious reason to breathe and relax a minute.
I haven't ruled out the possibility of that happening >without< being a charade! That's the Gen Jack D Ripper scenario from Dr Strangelove, only with a country taking the lead, calculating it would force the rest to "go all in."
RR posted that we don't know what's in Putin's head. Perhaps he's crazy enough to think he'd rather annihilate the world than live without power and wealth. However, I doubt Xi is crazy enough to let Putin annihilate the world. And, I doubt Putin can act without Xi's approval and support (tacit, at a minimum) (https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/politics/jake-sullivan-meeting-chinese-counterpart-ukraine/index.html)
I think Xi thinks China is en route to becoming the world's dominant power within a few years due to America's self-sabotage via the QOP... ....and, that Putin's Ukraine invasion is just a test as to whether Xi needs to wait more patiently
QUOTE: "It's about avoiding nuclear annihilation of the whole world, isn't it?"
Um. Today, having nuclear weapons is no longer a deterrence. Deterrence: is all sides unwilling to use nukes. Deterrence breaks when those with nukes deter, allowing genocide by a bully waving the red button around.
Deterrence is broken. That only worked when both sides were deterred.
But what if the bully is not the one carrying out the attack? What if he is forcing innocent kids to beat up on the victim while he stands on the sidelines and watches the mayhem? What if a lot of kids who are scared of the bully refuse to go along with him but are threatened with attacks on them? Does violence toward an innocent victim justify retaliation? And just who is going to take the retaliation? Pretty soon, the entire neighborhood of kids will be involved, some of them won't want to be there but are too scared that the bully will turn on them, others don't really care as long as they are safe from attack, some even want to stay on the bully's good side as there's something in it for them or they might think the bully can be bought off and won't turn on them if they're loyal. We actually don't know who will win and who will lose except it appears everyone will lose, even those who have decided they don't want to hear about it. The kids beyond the reach of the bully and watching from a distance probably think it's none of their concern, some even support their own local bully no matter who he takes on, no matter how much he threatens and attacks his many enemies...they regard him as the leader of their tribe and will support that tribe no matter what. You see, it's all a mess but most of us have to try to help the victims and make sure that our OWN LEADER is not the bully of our neighborhood.
Thank you for your response, Laurie. I think it's important that we keep a clear head on the war and just who's involved and why. Our dispute is not with the long-suffering/ever deprived and disadvantaged Russian people (whether they be soldiers or civilians): our issues reside with Vladimir Putin and those ready/willing/able to do his bidding. PUtin is Russia's version of Trump (or vice-versa) and we must never overlook the fact that a good many innocent Russians and Americans are as much victims as are the Ukrainians. We have the advantage of being relatively safe and far from conflict but that does not mean that our Trump-bully has not done his share of harm to his own people and de-stabilized our associations with friends and adversaries alike. We should recall our own experiences for years and years in VIetnam but, unfortunately, we suffer from a kind of national memory loss that precludes any knowledge of what happened last week, let alone 40-50 years ago. That is essentially why we keep re-fighting the Civil War and use surrogates to refight wars and battles old folks occasionally talk about. Pretty soon WWII will be forgotten...it's also possible that we relive it as though it were yesterday. Whatever this is, it's important to remember that, for many Russians, there is no advantage of any kind to a war in Ukraine, that Putin will make sure that the war doesn't affect him or his wealth and power-hungry supporters, that the burdens of war are shifted to those at the bottom of the heap. The discouraging thing to note is that that is exactly what Trump favored as a strategy and that, tragically, that is what many still favor in our dealings with the world...take heart that there are those who do know the difference between the current conflict and the good fight.
I had to take on a gang of girls in high school. I had told them for 2 years that I would take on two at a time in hand to hand combat, and I would become more damaging and deadly as I worked my way through the gang. That warning worked until our senior year. The head of the gang kicked my locker door into my head. As my blood gushed, I knocked out the two biggest gang members, and the mice of the gang backed away. Had they not, I would have taken them down too. The mice have a choice. They can either choose not to fight, or be destroyed.
Your scenario is indeed terrifying to me but I come from a different time and place, one in which I guess I was a mouse as I avoided (and was taught to avoid) confrontation at all costs. I never won a battle of any kind because I never engaged in a battle. I was a patsy and, knowing what I have learned through life, I would be a patsy today. I guess the question is: "What sort of loser or patsy do you want to be?" As resorting to aggression has its own costs and creates a different sort of loser than the more obvious one that I was. I would have never thought of answering the question the way you did but, then again, my culture, my background, my values would have precluded going on the attack. Things have clearly changed.
That girl gang of druggies terrorized me because I was the new girl in school who moved into their town and into their neighborhood. I kept refusing to go to their drug parties. That was in the fall of 1974. That small town in SD had made national news as being the highest drug arrests per capita in the country. My mother moved us to there after our father died of cancer, as the two grew up there. It was no longer the town of the 50s she had remembered. One of my aunts said I was a fighter since I was born, inheriting my grandmothers enlarged adrenal glands, which in a fight or flight situation, gave me quite an advantage.
I guess, then, that you consider yourself a winner. I wonder, though, whether your victory has helped you in any way. I don't know but I don't think you have lost something but I don't quite know what.
Being a fighter, but only in self defense, has not only saved me from rape, but I have also saved other females. So yes, that is a win win situation. I tell all women they should be able to kill with their bare hands, since most women have to deal with rape at least one time in their life, especially when they go to college.
Putin is already successfully using his nuclear arsenal without any detonations. He is using it to intimidate the NATO into noninterference with his aggressive behavior. He moves with impunity against Ukraine while NATO demurs and withholds jets from Poland because the move might upset Putin. He's got the world over a barrel, and he knows it.
But there is pushback. There are more sanctions that Putin did not expect. The majority of nations are putting sanctions on Russia. Russian people are being informed by those outside the country of what is going on. Radio free Europe still exists and Russians can get information. People are going to get energy from other sources. The U.S. only used 4% or so of their oil from Russia.
Putin is giving the orders, but the generals and troops are doing the destruction. Where are they getting their food? They need fuel. Cut off their supply lines, hack their computers. They need communications. Hack their coms. They need food. They need water. They need air. Cut off their supplies.
I suspect that the Ukrainians are already doing this to the maximum extent possible. We may be helping covertly (I hope so). I read that the Russians screwed up their own secure military communication channel by destroying cell towers in Ukraine.
Germany invaded Poland, we did nothing, but England declared war and got Dunkirk.
Germany invaded a host of other countries, and we did nothing.
Germany declares war on the USA and we did nothing but "lend lease" for another 2 years.
When our military was finally ready, we went in on June 6, 1944 and if we did not have allies, would not have won. If Japan had not bombed Pearl Harbor, we may be looking at Europe today being under NAZI control. A "no Fly Zone" over Western Ukraine for humanitarian purposes and declaring it a Demilitarized Zone for all others other than UN forces run by NATO just like we had over Iraq, will not start World War 3 because our intentions will be made clear. No accidents, just counter force to give the Ukranian people a safe haven while the war rages and to allow the Ukrainian government a place to retreat to, so they will not be taken out and shot, while the United Nations decides what to do with the bully. Let the Russians know that if they take over Ukraine, then Ukraine will have the same sanctions as Russia and will not be able to sell the Ukrainian crops outside of Russia. They will have to re-build the cities alone without international help and they will inherit a broken economy and country.
You wrote "Germany declares war on the USA and we did nothing but 'lend lease' for another 2 years." Germany declared war on America on December 8, 1941, after which we immediately got fully involved in the war against Germany.
North Africa was an expeditionary force with Great Britton, not even in Europe, and Italy was against Mussolini and Italian troops until they gave way to German troops just about 2 years after Germany declared war. We also had B-17 and B-24 liberators dropping bombs on Germany flying out of England, but, taking back Europe, against Hitler, took many nations and really got started on June 6, 1944. Many voices, in America, did not want another commitment of fighting men in Europe until after December 8, 1941. That is when we found ourselves way behind in weaponry and manpower. "Lend lease" is exactly what we have been doing with Ukraine since 2014 bur eventually, we will need to do more. First should be humanitarian with the "United Nations" and a "No Fly Zone" and DMZ that would pose not direct threat to Russia if they do not bring weapons into or over the DMZ. The only aircraft allowed would be "United Nations" F35 aircraft. Easy to identify and armed top class. Like Chess, the bully knows the rules and if he tests our resolve, you remember what happen in "Desert Storm" in Kuwait to the Iraqi retreating troops. If Vladimir Putin does not remember, send him the video with the announcement of the DMZ and no Fly Zone.
This one is important: " Let the Russians know that if they take over Ukraine, then Ukraine will have the same sanctions as Russia and will not be able to sell the Ukrainian crops outside of Russia."
Probably only slight, as the Ukrainian crops would feed Russia, even as the rest of the world was trying to starve it. That's part of why Russia wants Ukraine back in the first place. But, even an expanded Russia should be kept in a "pen" and not allowed out to play with the other kids.
I agree with you! We need to stake a claim in west Ukraine and one justification would be exactly the same as Putin’s: NATO needs a buffer between Russian Ukraine and Poland, etc.
Yeah, I don’t think he’d care for that at all. In his mind, just as in Republicans’, he gets to do whatever he wants and no one else gets to do anything.
That's brilliant strategic thinking. I don't know if it would work, in fact, it may make things worse; nonetheless my mind is saying, "Yeah! Let's do that. Tit for tat." (Our laymen's minds probably immediately go back to how we handled things when fighting among our brothers and sisters. And it's somewhat appropriate because fighting is for children.)
For the past 6-7 years, we have lived under the regime of our own home-grown bully, we have either supported a cult leader using our country and its institutions for his own personal purposes or protested the obstruction of justice, the nearly daily attacks on the rule of law and our written Constitution as well as our ordinary citizens. Are we to be punished for having such leader who has inflicted his constant abuses far and wide? Are we to be judged and sentenced for crimes we did not commit and never approved in the first place? Are we to be stripped of our future, our education, our rights to speak our minds and live in peace with our neighbors because someone most of us never elected to public office has been at the helm, lying and cheating his way to what it is important to him (wealth, power, and expressions of love and approval)? We could turn these questions concerning our own state to the situation in Russia itself. Not all Russians are in favor of the course Putin has decided on, not all Russians are willing to attack and destroy their neighbors. Many are just kids who have been conscripted and told to get in there and fight, fight, fight, not unlike the American kids sent to Vietnam to kill other people. I find it is very hard for me to speak of the transgressions of a bunch of Russian teenagers who don't want to be there, killing other people who are just folks they don't know. I would imagine or expect that thoughts of the unwilling participants in a war might merit some consideration but that is not what will happen, if we can understand anything from history. Americans who traditionally turn a blind-eye to the plights of others until the very last moment when action is possible, will also find it convenient to label the Russian people as the enemy and take out their punishment on those at the bottom of Russian society, almost as though a lowly 18-year-old studying for exams was the leader of the country. After all, it's not as though we Americans have never had a maniacal power-hungry despot for our elected leader. Or have we? (Winston Churchill once described the Americans this way: "Americans will always choose to do the right thing...once all other options have been exhausted.." I guess we just have to wait for that happy day and down-peddle the misery that is coming from both sides till that day arrives. But, individually, we can do something and best get at it. Blaming the Russian people (those conscripted Russian teens) for the thing and punishing them are not particuarly good strategies; sending contributions to bonafide international service and charity groups sound a bit better and, I hope, will also alleviate the conditions into which all in the area have fallen. This "all" also includes the Russian kids!)
Our President has been working and organizing on a higher level. Don't dismiss the sanctions. We may well end up in WW Three, but, let's give our President the credit he deserves, stand with him, and not dismiss the serious actions he has already taken as a way of providing our NATO allies with support. War is Hell, Russian boots are not on the ground. Russia's youth, fed the big lie, were sent to the Ukraine, supposedly, protectively encased within armored tanks, were Hell-bent on destruction, following orders the 'big lie', Putin's Fake news and total control Dictatorship. This is Putin's War of destruction. Is it Good Bye to an innocent country? Will one man be the cause of a Third World War; Dictatorships vs Democracy simply for control! It is senseless, a world gone mad and no winners in the long run outcome! I pray I am wrong.
When people responding to Robert's allegory refer to "The Russians" as they have done (you might want to check it out), they are lumping soldiers and civilians together, they are assuming that the Russians are speaking with one voice. THey are suggesting that Russians support Putin uniformly and are doing his bidding when, in fact, there is considerable dissension among the Russians. I do not know how people abroad consider "the Americans" but I suspect that there is a similar tendency to lump us all together and to consider Trump as representative of a larger group than he really commands. For many years, Trump ruled the roost (or thought he did) and I am sure many foreigners took him as the spokesman for widely-held views. Some may have suspected that there was a serious American opposition to Trump as I am sure they read accounts of protests of one kind or another. I believe that any mention of "The Russians" or "The Americans" as though there is a uniformity of opinion and thought is bound to go astray and off-the-rails; however, it is not a good sign that we--all of us--are more than willing to describe the views of some of us as the views of all of us. This may be due to the fact that the diversity of opinions, beliefs, and values is in fact more alarming to most of us than reassuring...it's somehow comforting to be able to assign a label to millions instead of dealing with the fact that our individual thoughts may very well be our own.
Lanae ; It was my impression from what I monitor in the news, that Russian people were and are marching in protest of the invasion of Ukraine as people all, over Europe and America are. I heard a story on the news about a woman reporting that her son sent her a text saying he was going on a training mission. A short while later she learned that he was killed in a war zone, Apparently, conscripts were not told the truth about what they were getting into. The Russian people have a news blackout. No social media, tictok, facebook, twitter and all outside tv has been shut down. As many as 8,000 people have been violently arrested and detained, many jailed for 20 year sentencing for protesting or disseminating information about what is really happening in Ukraine. Putin is telling people on state tv that Ukrainians are killing Russian allied citizens in Ukraine in a genocide. He is calling them nazis and other names, and claiming to be defending loyal Russians from Ukrainans.
My point is that the Russian people are not a single block with shared beliefs. There are going to be people in Russia on all sides of every single issue. There are those who strongly hold with the Ukrainians and there are going to be people who support and defend Putin, just as we have supporters of Trump and those adamantly opposed to everything Trump does and stands for. Years and years ago, I attended a conference outside of Copenhagen. An American scholar was presenting a paper (in English) on a new idea concerning what is called oral-formulaic theory (Parry and Lord, The Singer of Tales). Behind me sat three Danes whispering in Danish at certain points; they didn't realize that (being a Danish teacher at UW-Madison) and from a Danish family I understood every single word they were saying and what they were saying was: "That's so American, how typically American." I thought at the time that that was downright insulting and dismissive as the guy was presenting a new idea and his idea merited as serious consideration as any other. I said nothing but I vowed never to engage in any kind of dismissal or put-down or grouping of people together for good or ill. Each person should be judged on the merits, as should the thoughts and ideas of each person. We can't really know what any of the people of Russia think or feel about the war and as a group; we do know there is some opposition to the war in Russia but we also know that there are people who support Putin and his demands. I really don't know what is going on in Russia; I barely know what's going on here but I do know that a blanket description of the Russian people is bound to be as flawed now as the "typical American" label applied to an American scholar many years ago.
I agree. In the 70's there was an idea that people who would communicate from different cultures would try to see where a person was 'coming from'. I am certain that you would be familiar with this phrase.' Where is his head at?' My grandmother who was from Canada and formerly spoke French thought that was hilarious! "It would be on his shoulders!" But, everyone has a different perspective. When I wrote about 8,000 Russians getting beaten and jailed, I knew that was a large number, but know there are many who support Putin. From what I remember of the descriptions of Russians, it seemed that the older ones were more likely to believe Putin than the younger ones, who were on social media and more of the world outside of Russia. Often, here in the U.S. the older people are considered more conservative. Except here, where I live, even the older are more progressive. Not all, but, unsurprisingly, the educated and those who read a lot.
Though I usually agree completely with the writings of Dr. Reich , and his motivation is unquestionable, this allegory represents a completely naive misunderstanding of international politics. I was forced to subscribe in order to make this comment , but have been totally surprised the lack of intelligence displayed by the well meaning commentators who are willing to sacrifice the people of Ukraine , and a nuclear third world war for an ideological power struggle between Russia and the US , in the form of NATO. The more money and weapons provided to the recent government of Ukraine, the longer the conflict will last, and the more people will die. The understanding of the interests and motivation of Russia, and a negotiated settlement is the only way left to end this conflict. Imagine the US response if a socialist/communist government would be elected in Mexico , and they would invite an alliance of Russia, China, Iran , and North Korea to place troops and nuclear weapons in Juarez , Tijuana, and all along Trump's border wall. Kennedy was and is praised for being willing to risk a nuclear war to prevent Russia from installing nuclear weapons in Cuba. Putin probably imagines himself in that tradition. The concept of Evil is a religious invention, which refuses to understand the interests and motivation of ones enemies . The science of conflict resolution is needed much more than the red badge of courage.
I applaud your sophisticated but wrongheaded reasoning. No NATO country has in recent past ever done anything to Russia. And the US and other countries have tried to normalize relationships with Russia. Russia has annexed Crimea and taken over the Donbas. Oh yes remember Georgia. Remember the little green men. Putin is a murderer who wants to make Russia back to what it was as the USSR for his own glory. He has poisoned and killed individuals whose reasoning, read not militarily aggression, Has been a threat to him. He puts dissidents in jail. Ukraine in particular has done nothing untoward to Russia, and has only been a victim of Putin. It’s time for NATO to put a stop to this. Reich’s logic is both simple and true. Stop imaging what’s not true and deal with the facts on the ground.
You know, your post makes me wonder what his grand Russian empire would actually look like. Would he reinstate feudalism, because that was what they had under the empire. How does he propose to get any of the countries in question to buy into this? With the west squeezing their economies are they going to be happy people, or will China take up the slack? I’m not sure he’s thought any of this through. He’s just angry and is indulging an insatiable lust for power.
The root of the current horrible war is NATO's arrogant expansion to the borders of Russia despite its promise not to do so and despite adamant opposition to it by Russian governments. NATO is a military alliance hostile to Russia. Russian governments since the collapse of the Soviet Union have proposed dissolving NATO and substituting a mutual security agreement for all of Europe guaranteeing security for all its nations. NATO said no and marched to Russia's border, and declared its intention to expand even to Ukraine which has a 1400 mile border with Russia. The people of Crimea and Donbas rose in armed revolt after the February 2014 coup by Western Ukrainians (Kyiv is in Western Ukraine), supported by the Obama Biden Administration, against the legally elected Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich, who was from Donbas, and for whom they had voted in the 2010 election. Because of all this, Ukraine is a divided country, not a united one. If NATO had accepted that Ukraine would remain neutral and not join it, this war would not have happened. Instead, once again, NATO/US western imperial arrogance said no to stopping its expansion, goading Putin into invading. When will our world's leaders start declaring peace instead of war?
I don't think it's that simple. The world no longer revolves around Russia and the West. Other nations have a right to self determination. If Russia didn't want their neighbors rushing to join NATO for their own safety and protection, they should have treated them better.
Remember, Russia promised not to invade Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine giving up their nuclear weapons.
Finally, Ukraine was nowhere close to joining NATO and posed no immediate threat to Russia. How do you explain Russia's urgency to launch an invasion?
Yes the West was foolishly arrogant and Putin's Russia deeply resents us for it. I'm less sure we could have avoided conflict with Russia. The military industrial complex on both sides was too eager to find new enemies to justify their existence. After the Soviet Union fell, look how quickly tiny Iraq became a threat to are national security requiring drastic military action. The Bush administration was determined to avoid a peaceful resolution.
I agree with most of what you said, except that Ukraine was no where near joining NATO. It was already getting training from NATO, coordinating military command and control, and allowed a NATO naval electronic surveillance station. Zelensky for the past year (post Trump) has loudly been demanding a NATO decision to let it in. I think it was much closer than we have been allowed to know.
Here's the thing. I appreciate your takes on history, but I think there may be one event that took place which effectively destroyed any remaining "moral authority" the US may have had. I was raisin' hell about it being all bullshit at the time, and the wanker on the podium making faces like he was a'tellin' ghost stories to children about WMDs. It certainly provided a cover of precedent to Putin's actions - even if only in Putin's mind and nowhere else - as well as any possible Chinese moves in it's region. Here's a British take on what I'm talking about you might find both entertaining and enlightening. Drama >based on< true events it may be, but I think you'll find truth in the drama: https://www.amazon.com/Official-Secrets-Keira-Knightly/dp/B07XG7R8F9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MR92NIQRQ4BV&keywords=official+secrets+prime+video&qid=1647996437&sprefix=official+secrets%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1 There's even a small snippet at the end featuring the woman portrayed in the drama.
Whatever the historic context of the region, I think this has a more immediate impact on events in Ukraine today than anything else anyone has offered yet. It's where we handed Putin a free pass to everything he's done since. The drama is mostly about British involvement, but pay special attention to what it says about the crap the US was pullin'.
Thank you for emailing me the thread responses. I tried to send a year subscription to my son, Edward at U.S.T. (Univ. of Science and Technology) in Hong Kong, but, sadly, it was not accepted as a valid email. I find your email a touch of reality, important, relevant, and well worth reading. Because I'm up-in-years, I frugally pay monthly, rather than purchasing the $50 subscription for a year, e.g., a famous humorist one said, "I'm so old, I don't even buy ripe bananas anymore". (Humor intended.)
F.Y.I, I am a longtime member of Common Cause, secondly, I find your email blog educationally enriching, and well worth the read, and I own one of your more than fifteen published books, e.g.,"The Common Good".
In sum, I need and very much appreciate the quality of your common-sense style of seemingly, sharing your observations in a thought-provoking, fully digestible manner. The world needs you in it, rational, healthy, wise, and, seemingly, contented. I may fall behind here and there, finding the responses intriguingly relevant, but, for the most parts, I'm keeping up with the proficiency of your computer fed articles in your Blog. I highlight the title for later reading, today, tomorrow, and . . .sometime in the future. your life seemingly excels in learn-ed practice, and teachings of America's ideals, never to be taken lightly. Thank you.
The process is as on-going as blending past and present, our blessings co-mingled with what will become future events; our lives ever dependent upon the integrity of sharp minded individuals whom we vote into office because we believe they have proven themselves worthy of our trust, capable of making clearheaded leadership decisions that affect our lives. We are responsible for voting officials into office, the losers when a responsible party isn't elected. Carelessly made, wrong decisions, may, or may not be immediately apparent, so, we live whatever happens, until the next election.
Donald Trump's history is one of being a big-mouth, blatantly flaunting his oversized ego in outlandishly cruel, manipulative, and disrespectful ways. The writing was on the wall long before this power hungry male was elected to America's highest office. Our mistakes include the problems evident in our Electoral College's power to overrule the popular vote. Donald Trump's lust for power was glaringly apparent in this man's every action, before, during, and after dishonorably sitting in this country's highest seat! Unbelievably, we, as a people, actually allowed him to feed his ego's power hungry, insatiable ambitions, and even harvest a massive, cult-like following of politicians and American citizens.
In retrospect, D.T.'s disregard for the dignities awarded him as President, most assuredly awakened most of us to the grievous seriousness of how closely we came to having our freedoms taken away by a maniacal, self acclaimed leadership hungry Dictator Hell bent on winning re-election; a man who ruthlessly sought to divide, conquer, and control our country.
Much to our chagrin, D.T.'s actions exposed weaknesses in our Constitution. Our founders, brilliant and foreseeable as they were in providing clearly defined governmental checks and balances to be built into our Constitution and Bill of Rights. American Citizens have been lulled into believing that our Constitution and Bill of Rights were near perfect, America's rock-solid foundation, a beautiful reflection of our young country. Indeed, like our country, it, too, apparently requires closer viewing, perhaps, like we, the people, it, too, is a work in progress.
Where do we stand in our commitment to integrity? You raise the questions, pose possibilities, offer facts. How do we assure everyone has an opportunity to become well-educated, committed to community involvement, good government, public service? We're seriously in need of your teachings to help us evaluate our own behaviors, digest, practice and hold in highest esteem the values we, supposedly adhere to as a nation of free people with equal rights to the pursuit of happiness. Nothing can be taken for granted if America's quest is to live up to our ideals. We must re-evaluate ourselves, re-educate ourselves, generation to generation, birth to death. We cannot afford complacency.
Putin's Russia invaded under all kinds of pretenses that Russia needed to save the people of the Ukraine from Nazi extremism. Not so! Lies, lies, lies. Ukrainian people were/are peace-loving neighbors, now terrorized by Putin's lust for power, not NATO's, or the U. S.
See my new response to Victor that includes a link to a British film you may find interesting. I'm thinkin' maybe that what Putin did has less to do with current events in Ukraine than precedent set by the US.
Q-publican style "legally elected?" But then again, that's purely internal politics. So you're justifying invasion by a foreign power based on an internal political matter? Take care. I thought GWB was - and still is - a dyed in the wool asshole for invading Iraq to impose "regime change" - when all it was ever >really< about was the oil. Indeed, I think Putin learned how to talk the kind of trash he does about Ukraine from the garbage puking out of GWB's mouth daily about Iraq - not that I was ever a big fan of Saddam. (I'm persuaded it was in our national security interest to root Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan, and that the Taliban was providing safe haven to our enemy.) Saddam too - on the other hand - was a wanker, but a wanker that could have been turned to serve our security interests. It would have served his self-interest. Putin could just have easily engaged in the kind of diplomacy you seem to advocate >without< an unvarnished land-grab and subsequent invasion. All it would have taken is to persuade the Ukes that Russia was a better ally than NATO. He failed to do that. Indeed, he didn't even >try< to do that. You want over-simplified, well there's the kind of simplicity you may appreciate - whether or not you like it.
International observers found the election fair. Look at a map of the election and you will see the country divided between west and east with the east voting for Yanukovich. I am not justifying the invasion, I am putting it into historical context to try to understand what lead up to it. You say it was in our national security interest to invade Afghanistan but cannot see one for Russia? I can understand its point of view regardless of Putin. Yeltsin, Putin's predecessor also adamantly opposed NATO expansion but could do nothing about it because Russia was in a state of collapse, which NATO took advantage of. I repeat, Ukraine is a divided country, especially since the Feb 2014 coup, The west is very pro-European and the east and south (Crimea) pro-Russia. That is just the political and social reality of that country. Plus Crimea is the home base of Russia's Black Sea Fleet for 250 years. I do not believe any Russian leader would accept it being evicted and replaced by a US/NATO fleet. I encourage you to read Putin's Feb 21 statement where he elaborates on his position, including his historical analysis. War is hell, and it will only end when peace is negotiated, I do not see either side winning militarily without completely destroying the country and possibly sparking a European or even a world war, which could end all humanity.
Other than you, Putin knows the US tried to poison Castro, is the only nation to use nuclear weapons, invaded Irag, Afghanistan, Viet Nahm..., attempted to block the pipeline allowing Russia to sell badly needed gas to Germany , (Gas and oil are the basis of the Russian economy). Your "facts" are incomplete and biased, and such a position prevents a negotiated settlement which is the way to save more lives in Ukraine.
Do you think for one moment that the educated world believes that Putin and his cronies give a damn about saving lives? Infact Putin has made it a point to send assassins to kill his enemies in other countries.
True, but our country does not have clean hands either. Our government has invaded militarily, fomented coups, assassinated leaders of other countries, etc., for many years.
I know we have invaded other countries. We invaded Iraq and Afghanistan but not to take it over. There were times when we help overthrow duly elected a government, (Chile, and Guatemala). I do not recall our being involved in unprovoked invasion with the purpose of taking the country over. Nor do I recall where we would purposely attack civilian targets (hospitals, apartment buildings, schools water treatment plants and other purely civilian targets). It is my opinion that we can't be compared to Putin and Russia.
I know our history is not spotless, we have supported dictators, we allowed slavery and treated blacks and the American Indians less than the white man, however I do not recall our government promoting savagery against other nations. I do not know of any of our Presidents that promoted what is happing in Ukraine.
You suggest a "negotiated settlement?" You are naive if you think you can negotiate with a terrorist. There would be no negotiation, just utter capitulation to the weak chinned putin.
Nobody wants to go nuclear! The problem is are we going to let Putin threaten nuclear war which is mutual destruction and keep doing whatever the heck he wants to do. Everything‘s at risk in life. I personally feel this is a bullies tactic which he won’t use against the whole world. Keep in mind if he were to actually do that it would not affect onlY NATO and the United States it would affect China and all the countries in the world.
I actually had that in mind! Hey, I'm as eager to help Ukraine as anyone, but I am not in a position of power to make any decisions. There are generals with years of experience and military experts on the air saying nukes and even conventional jets could start something we cannot stop. Is Biden working for the 'dark side'? are the networks misinforming us? I'm not convinced. Good people did not oppose the war in Iraq, though. It's awful!
I believe Russia is not interested any longer in an empire, but in defending itself against US led power alliance dedicated to destroying it economically , and culturally , and militarily . Understanding the world from Russia's point of view , would allow for the beginnings of a negotiated peace . The US , who is familiar with the motivation of invasion, and regime change from our experience in Irag, Afghanistan , Lybia , .to mention a few , needs to lead the way in setting up an agreement that considers also the interests of Russia. If there will be regime change, it will be in Ukraine before in Russia.
We need to be careful not to confuse Putin with "Russia." The Russian people gave no interest other than survival, but they have no voice in Putin's regime. Putin himself is the big unknown. We don't know if he's mainly interested in (1) defending Russia against an expanded NATO, (2) expanding Russia to the borders of the old Soviet Union, or (3) imposing his own personal will on the world, or if he's simply insane. Unless or until we figure out what's in his head, we're severely handicapped in terms of strategy.
In the same line of thinking, we also don't know if he is playing a head game on the us. Regarding NATO, why do nations joint NATO? Is it to join a group of nations who are interested in acquiring real estate by invading other countries or do they do it for protection from countries they are afraid of? I personally think that Putin is insane just like a fox.
Dr Reich, I have lived half my life in Europe. While your understanding of domestic politics is admirable , your text above indicates a poor understanding of the cold war, and of Putin . Russia cannot expand to the borders of the old Soviet Union, as while Russia army is the largest in Europe, it is one third the size of NATO , and his weapons are not anywhere near as powerful. He is attempting to lead his country which was economically weak before this conflict, and may soon be bankrupt. The Iron curtain came down , and the Soviet Union was dissolved because Russia saw they could not compete with the economic power that funded our overgrown military . Putin has said that whoever does not regret the death of the soviet union has no heart, but whoever wants to see it recreated has no brain. Though it is difficult to measure insanity, I doubt that he is more insane than Donald Trump , and so far I think he is responsible for less deaths than GWB. As I have written in another comment, Kennedy was and is admired for his willingness to risk a nuclear third world war to prevent Russia from installing nuclear weapons in Cuba. Putin may imagine himself as following in Kennedy's footsteps. Imagine the US reaction if Mexico , with its relatively corrupt government would elect a socialist/communist president who would invite an alliance of Russia , China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea to station troops , and nuclear weapons in Juarez , Tijuana, and along the Trump border wall. Empathy is the ability to see the world from another's viewpoint, and understanding Russia's demands and views will be the beginning of negotiated peace . The alternative of trying to force regime change in in Russia is going to lead to more death and destruction , and possibly to a nuclear war.
My question: who the devil was seriously proposing parking a bunch of nukes on Uke turf, a land that divested its stockpile - which accounted for a considerable share of the Soviet nuclear arsenal - for guarantees of its sovereign territorial integrity? I seriously doubt hosting a nuclear arsenal is what the Ukes had in mind, and am quite unlikely to be persuaded otherwise. Indeed, what's coming to pass now is >exactly< what Ukraine wanted NATO protection against. Go ahead try and telling me what's happening right now isn't happening right now. Go ahead and try to convince me current events aren't proof their concern was well founded. Go ahead and try telling me not to believe mine own eyes. Go ahead and try telling me 4 is 5. Go ahead and try!
A college friend went abroad for a foreign study program in Russia in the late 1970s Cold War era. Russians were friendly to him, and let him know they lost many relatives in WWII, and didn't want war with the U.S., and don't want more deaths
Perhaps there needs to be a more active broadcast work-around to Putin's media blackout to let the people know about their relatives coming home from the Ukraine in body bags
Putin isn't afraid of military aggression by NATO. That is his BS talking point. This is all about Putin's ego.
1) Putin grew up with the Soviet Premieres as his heroes. When they spoke, the whole world stopped to listen. For the last decade, the US has been saying that when it was done in the middle east, it was pivoting to China. Basically saying that Russia is no longer a player worth considering. Putin's ego can't take that. He wants the world to stop and listen when he speaks.
This is a temper tantrum from Putin. The world moved away from military power to economic power as it's defining characteristic. Russia has some power in oil and natural gas, but it isn't really a major power economically and it never will be. This is Putin screaming "look at me, look at me, I'm important!!" because it is the only way that the world will pay attention to him.
He wants to be the big bad. If you can't be Batman, do you want to be Joker or Calendar man?
2) Putin has basically said that he wants to rebuild the Soviet empire. He wants to be the great leader who rebuilt the empire after the fools of the 90's destroyed everything. Countries joining the EU/NATO means that they are out of bounds for that. That is the threat from NATO. That once countries join, he has no chance to dominate them anymore. Of the remaining Soviet nations that haven't joined NATO, Ukraine is the most successful. Largely because it pivoted away from Russia to the EU. Half the world already thinks that Belarus is just a state within Russia. What else is there? Georgia? Azerbaijan? Kazakstan? Ukraine would be the crown jewel.
@m leftwich. It may be important to display a professional perspective (conflict resolution) but it is also important to be truthful. You are attributing motives to US policy that are not true (at least in the public sphere). You go so far as to now sound like a Russian bot...
The United States has a policy of opposing Russian aggression, not of trying to bring Russia down. Our international policies have not been those of angels, almost anyone would say, But underneath it all, the United States would embrace, not oppose, a Russia that had a civilian government focused on Russian domestic issues and concerns.
When did he switch from wanting to reconstitute the empire to defending Russia against so-called U.S.aggression? This is passive aggressive behavior. You accuse someone of doing something (not you personally—I mean the impersonal you) until you actually bring it about. But why is he picking a fight? Is this the same as what Trump does to get people all riled up, and if so why does he need it? He’s already in power.
Please see the reality. Regime change is not the US strategy! Putin has accepted to be capitalized for the last 30 years.
NATO has asked to have the US as the protector, why not!
Ukraine and others have been very productive and Russia is loosing its political world standing because of the power of China. Thus the solution is to conquer. Alliance with another so called communist country China with hundreds of Billionaires is to inject fear unto the weaker X Russian Soviets, while China is intelligently forging a world alliance to conquer the world and feed their more than a billion people.
Do we see the projections ?
1) Putin will conquer most of the lost Soviets Slaves.
2) China will conquer Taiwan and rule the chip capital of the world!
Money is the main-objective.
The world has to stop its thirst for power and more billionaires.
Wall Street is the main culprit since their goal is to profit no matter what.
Do they really give a dammed about the US?
Now that our world is being killed by a fast moving “ Climate Pandemic”?
This is not purely Putin. (I have a comment on another thread...) This is also Xi seeing how much he can abet Putin to weaken democracy, and facilitate the QOP power-lust to undermine America in the midterm elections
Yes! And it’s enabled Trump and Murdoch to spread dangerous lies. It’s also largely responsible for all the tent cities (as well as digitization, monopolies, tax laws, opioids, and starving the mental health system).
Right. But, it hasn't been a one-way relationship. The corporatocracy has been benefiting from China's cheap labor, at the expense of America's middle class. And, the sanctions have shown China that it needs to curb its financial ties to the U.S., so economic sanctions don't interfere with its invasion of Taiwan. Ultimately, China's threat to the US will involve withholding its rare earth metals. Fortunately:
Along with others in overwhelming force you act against the bully. You either put the bully in jail or you beat him up so badly that he gives up his bully behavior. This is what NATO should do with Putin. It should use the least amount of force, in stepwise fashion, to defeat the invading Russian forces and/or influence Putin to withdraw. A no-fly zone, already requested by Zelenky, would be a good start. Of course, there is some risk that Putin will use nukes, and then NATO will need to use nukes in a proportional response, but some things are worth fighting for and dying for. The community of nations (UN or NATO) must protect national sovereignty, democracy, and the lives of persons. The bully must be brought down.
No, they are a real thing, regardless of your admonitions to the inventor. This is from Wikipedia: "A tactical nuclear weapon (TNW) or non-strategic nuclear weapon[1] is a nuclear weapon which is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations mostly with friendly forces in proximity and perhaps even on contested friendly territory. Generally smaller in explosive power, they are defined in contrast to strategic nuclear weapons, which are designed mostly to be targeted at the enemy interior away from the war front against military bases, cities, towns, arms industries, and other hardened or larger-area targets to damage the enemy's ability to wage war." Get it?
Clearly this is what nuclear blackmail looks like. It’s harder and harder to see an off-ramp to this atrocity. I had some sympathy with the voices that NATO went too far but how could we not include Poland and the Baltics? The true nature of Putin was revealed in 4 wars leading up to the present. I am bracing myself for a horrific week.
I might get my ears boxed with what I say here. No, we should NOT stand by and watch the slaughter of human life. Sanctity of life is one of the attributes that differentiate us from the predators in wildlife. We don't eat our young nor the young of others. Smerconish, who airs on CNN Saturday mornings, presents a question for a vote from his viewers at the end of the show. In the last three weeks, he's asked questions circling the one you asked. This week concerned whether we should help with a 'no fly zone.' (I think.) ALL three weeks received an overwhelming 90% (32,000 plus viewers) YES for the U.S. to stand up to Russia. I feel we are cowards. That is not our DNA. (We can debate the other side of that at another time.) I wrote a blog yesterday and was amazed that Republicans and Democrats alike wrote to me questioning their own resolve: Can I watch this daily slaughter and allow the bully to continue? Robert, do you think Putin will stop with the Ukraine? We need to send the WORLD-OF-BULLIES a message: Don't mess with human rights. Don't kill children. Do not do it for 'we the people' will protect the innocent, provide justice where injustice exists, and not allow 'man's inhumanity to man.' We said, "Never again." Yet we stand on our shores at a distance. We've seen bodies rolled into ditches. Is this not a reminder to those who remember, who should remember of Hitler's death camps? No, the U.S. needs to act and call the bully's bluff. All bullies are consumed with an arrogance of weakness. Call his bluff and by so doing we also send a message to other powers of the world: Do not, do not think of dehumanizing a people, denigrate their dignity, destroy their land, and take away their freedom.
We are not cowards. We defend NATO land and people. What about that is unclear? All nations in North Atlantic region need to meet requirements and join asap. 26 old jets are a bungled mess, but not the issue. Send Ukraine high altitude air defense system.
I agree with you about the need for a high altitude defense system in Ukraine. Absolutely! I do think in our global society that human life outside of NATO countries has value, too, even if they do not belong to NATO. We have a right to disagree because we are a Democracy. We have a right to express our views openly in writing without fear of repercussions. I wish this for all in our entire world, not just the 'special few' in NATO. One caveat: I did not use the word "cowards."
I agree we can all disagree and debate as a free democracy. The National Alliance formed after WWII against Russian aggression is not unattainable special group. It is a level for all countries who believe in democratic values to support and achieve, if they know importance of it and support their candidates of same beliefs.
oh come on man - same 90% sent us into Iraq even knowing no WMD and no connection to 9/11 sounded off just like you and Hilliary and others in congress did not even reading the Intel secret report. Using silly stuff on critical issue sounds like Smerconish. Do you think Smerconish would point out how we handle same type bulling Israel does with Palestine. Or would Smerconish go over to Africa and do live report. come on man Smerconish is exact mold as Carlson, making money as big dog actor. Velshi is much much better reporter to listen to.
Cliff ; 90%? of who sent us into Iraq? I still think GWB and others who are still alive should be treated as war criminals. But it's easy to say what we would do in their positions, since we had had 911 and there were still very hard raw feelings. the ones who opposed the war in Iraq were few for a reason. And it was not because it was such a good idea! The same hesitancy keeps justice from happening now in America. There are plenty of Traitors and Seditionists holding seats in our government and on our courts, even the 'Supreme' court! Justice is extremely slow! Like the coupdetat!
It would be even simpler to do this in Africa or Saudi Arabia, yes? Good article shared above by Mr Baldwin from the BBC Mar 6. We don't treat all bullies equally. Seems that if we did, and took care sanctioning the lower hanging "bully fruit," perhaps the bigger bullies who can create irreversible global conflagrations would never get to that point.
What did we do in Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Chile, I could go on. We do not have clean hands when it comes to being a "bully."
Lee Ann Morgan ; What cost worldwide annihilation? Nuclear war would end all lives on the planet! this is not a bluff to take lightly. See if the increased sanctions and opposition from the Russian people themselves make a difference. Meanwhile, hope that some Seals get in there.....
Obviously, there is only one thing to do: You pull out your phone, videotape the bully's ruthlessness and threaten to post it online if he doesn't stop. Because the bully, like you, is so filled with rage from an unjust, exploitative system that profits off of making life harder for him and his family that he'll even lash out at kids, at anyone and anything that will allow him to feel slightly powerful and in control of his constantly-spinning world, even if only for a moment. He is so overcome with anger at the endless grind and its inhuman obstacles that the only threat that breaks through the adrenaline-fueled fury is a video that, if seen by his employer, could mean the end of his paycheck and his ability to keep his family indoors during this brutal winter, and the end of the health insurance that keeps the life-saving treatments coming for his wife. And so, even when away from work, he realizes there is nowhere he can go where financial incarceration and despair do not define who he is, what he can be, and how he can act, for as cruel as he can be, nothing is as relentless and unforgiving as the American economy.
Russia is putting out a tremendous amount of propaganda saying they’re going in to protect. They have their own pics and videos to show their population. So exposing them is like convincing Trumpians that he lost…both times!
Suckers fall for propaganda all the time. Russian/Trump propaganda pitted the divide between the police and the Black community, and was a running theme, clearly through posts around “Blue Lives Matter” vs. “Black Lives Matter.” Furthermore, it exaggerated a sharp division in the African American community. It worked. I listen to Spanish language radio. They want a caudillo before all else.
National security may be the antidote to the BIG LIE. Trump was told that Putin was offering a bounty on Americans in Afghanistan, but released the Taliban. Trump is an open and OBVIOUS sucker for Putin.
Are you kidding? Offer to make Putin's life better? You think that being nice to a narcissistic psychopath will influence him to stop bullying? I don't think so. These kind of persons only respect superior power.
You said "his," and Putin is the only man we have been discussing. The proper response to a psychopath's aggression is not to offer to make his life better, but to actually punish him by making his life worse in some way.
When I said “his” I was referring to the bully in the analogy. I agree that sometimes you just have to meet force with force. But often people bully because they’re miserable and feel helpless. This is what Trump and Fox News try to exacerbate so they can manipulate them. Happy people don’t need to lash out, which is why despots and idiots like Murdoch try to get people all riled up. Now, in the case of Putin he’s beyond hope. But if he were gone and the Russian people were happy, they’d have no need to pick on others. Unfortunately there will always be warped personalities who will come along and ruin everything. But on a strictly personal level, if you can intervene early enough perhaps you can help them (them meaning potential bullies).
I think the kind of bully you are speaking of is rare and is not Putin. He is the other type. He is not helpless. He is a powerful, confident, arrogant, warped, narcissistic bully. This is one of those cases where you have to "meet force with force," as you said. Putin is not a child. It is too late to intervene helpfully with him. He must be stopped by force.
I would do precisely what the Biden administration is doing. Barring reckless actions that could result in everyone’s demise, I would use every available means to intensify the kid’s ability to defend him or herself while also attempting to disrupt the bully’s ability to continue assaulting the kid.
Given the odds, I imagine, at best, I conceivably could engineer conditions whereby each kid would be just strong enough never to lose and just weak enough never to win.
Barbara Jo, Thank you, your comment is helpful. Many other comments today express rage and frustration about our failure to find some overt action to stop Putin, a way that does not risk escalation to nuclear warfare. I don't think there is any. Putin has already made it clear signal that his nukes are ready. But there are things we can do indirectly that will cost Putin dearly. The Biden administration has already done some: sanctions, denial of access to the SWIFT system, etc. Those measures are not one-off; they will continue to bite until we lift them. Meanwhile Putin continues to waste blood and treasure while the battle goes on.
Bob, Clearly, I appreciate your comment. Nonetheless, when you surmise there is no way to stop Putin without risking an escalating nuclear exchange, respectfully, I disagree.
I understand Ukrainians are convinced that they, alone, can win this war if provided with the needed weaponry. To that end, Ukrainians are prevailing upon Western leadership for a stronger NATO response, begging Western democracies to step up and provide Ukraine with all needed air defense support systems to protect the skies from Russian bombs and provide Ukraine with safe spaces.
Considering that Russia is encountering a staunch Ukrainian resistance and a unified Europe, while also suffering substantial losses and exhausting a lot of its munitions, I believe, as stated in my original posting, that Russia, like Ukraine, could end up just strong enough never to lose and just weak enough never to win, an outcome resolvable only through a negotiated settlement.
Barbara Jo, You may be right. It was timidity and vacillation of other nations that gave Hitler the early opportunities he needed. So maybe we should take the chance in spite of the risk of escalation and stop Putin here and now, at Ukraine, because we know if he wins Ukraine Putin will not stop there.
I do think both Putin and the United States are prepared to use "tactical nuclear weapons" in this conflict. "Tactical Nukes" are just little ones, the size of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. And they are designed to produce minimal residual radiation. There has been a lot of buzz about them lately.
I tend to agree with you here, Bob. If NATO were to enforce a no-fly zone, Putin may or may not respond with a tactical nuke. If he does, then NATO must respond in degree and kind. At some point I think Putin will not risk all-out nuclear war and the annihilation of his own country just for the goal of taking Ukraine. I think NATO should call his bluff.
Bob, As for your statements regarding “tactical nuclear weapons,” I couldn’t disagree with you more and, frankly, am distressed we’re even having this conversation.
From the start, my position has been that we provide the Ukrainians with everything they need short of establishing no-fly-zones, which could lead to Americans and Russians shooting at one another.
Barbara, you said "I couldn’t disagree with you more and, frankly, am distressed we’re even having this conversation." I am very distressed that you are distressed that we're having this conversation. Fortunately, Robert Reich supports the open marketplace of ideas and discussions and debates of controversial ideas. You should be overjoyed that we are having this conversation. Reasoning and debate are the beginning of problem solving in a democracy.
Gary, If you read my bio you will note that I view open discussion and dialogue as the ultimate attribute of a free and open mind. That said, as someone who has spent much of her adult life advocating for nuclear disarmament, I invariably will become distressed, generally speaking, by the prospect of nations acquiring, let alone deploying, nuclear weapons of any sort.
Barbara, it all depends how you define "win" and "lose." Without military intervention by NATO, Putin will win, as I have described. Just wait and see.
Not so sure, ask the Finns. Ukrainians are much tougher than Putin expected. There are reports of Russian soldiers quitting; a lot of them were told it would just be a military exercise. Russian POWs are treated well and allowed to call home to tell the reality and that word spreads out...
Well, the Ukranians are putting up a good fight and economic sanctions against Russia are helpful. However, in the end numbers of soldiers, numbers of weapons, and the power of weapons will win the day for Putin, just wait and see, UNLESS NATO or some other country or organization inserts military power into the fray. Ukraine is losing the air war. Ukraine is beginning to look like Syria. Millions of people are leaving Ukraine. How much death and suffering must occur before the "good guys" come in to defeat the bully?
Without a cuckoo next to the nuke button I'd say "sure, let's go!". But even if the risk is indeed small (bully's survival instinct, China's reaction...), the consequences would be so devastating, with perhaps millions of military and civilian casualties, even without nukes. The World should really get away from Russian fossils (heaviest sanction), continue to insinuate true information into Russia, get XI to scold Putin and ...negotiate. Ukraine will lose some territory but the longer this goes the deeper the scars.
Gary, I will continue writing letters advocating support for Ukraine that does not involve NATO military intervention yet still gets us to a negotiated settlement, which I view as a “win.”
And I will continue speaking out for measured NATO military intervention. A negotiated settlement would be fine as long as Ukraine does not give up too much in the settlement.
Gary, Though probably too early for one to get his or her hopes up about anything, I understand negotiators on both sides recognize that the best kind of deals are the ones where no one is satisfied.
I disagree. You have it exactly backwards. Time is not on Ukraine's side. The current sanctions will be insufficient to induce Putin to retreat. You are seeing the results now and ultimately you will see Putin's forces overtake the capitol and install a puppet government, unless NATO intervenes quickly with direct military action, like imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Appeasement or a "slap on the wrist" does not work with narcissistic psychopaths.
If the enemy uses force of some destructive power X, then in response you should use force of similar but slightly more destructive power, X+1. If Putin uses air power (airplanes, helicopters, drones, and missiles) to bomb Ukraine, then Ukraine and NATO should use air power a little stronger against Putin's forces. If Putin uses one strategic nuclear weapon against Ukraine or a NATO nation, then the allies should use two strategic nuclear weapons. The idea which I was taught a long time ago during my career in corrections is to use the least amount of force to control the situation, achieve the goal, or repel the enemy, no more and no less.
Gary, I prefer my recommended strategy for getting to a diplomatic resolution. First, I believe it could work and, second, it doesn’t risk an escalating nuclear exchange.
Barbara, your recommended strategy is not working, and I don't think it will. It's just a matter of time when Putin will defeat the Ukranian forces, get rid of the Zelensky government, and install his own puppet government. Before a diplomatic resolution would work, Putin needs to be punished for his invasion by the proportional military response I have described. Then, you might have a chance of getting him to the negotiation table, but if things continue as they are he will take over Ukraine in less than 60 days.
Gary, My understanding is that Ukraine is prevailing upon Western leadership for a stronger NATO response. I hear Ukrainians daily begging Western democracies to step up and provide Ukraine with all needed air defense support systems to protect the skies from Russian bombs and provide Ukrainians with safe places. Ukrainians emphatically are dismayed by our reticence, asserting that if Putin wanted to attack a NATO country, he would invent a pretext for doing so. Meanwhile, they are convinced they can win this war if provided with the needed weaponry.
Putin is bombing an army base in Ukraine only 12 miles away from Poland. It's possible that he will invade NATO countries within 60 days at this rate. If and when that happens, the US. is treaty bound to get involved.
Gary W ; Meanwhile Putin is under sanctions. more than he expected and Russian people are against this war, as is the whole world. If we bomb Russian jets, it's Nuclear holocaust. the proportional response you have described is unworkable in this situation.
I don't know what's meant by "proportional military action," perhaps Putin was watching CNN the night in 2001, learning something and gaging America's response to "shock and awe" in Irag as the sky lit up with deadly fire works.
CNN is doing excellent reporting and is planning the next hero award show sponsored by Big Pharma the healing industry for everything we tell you you should be worried about.
I was always flabbergasted that Western powers tried desperately to appease Hitler, that they didn’t take him out swiftly and decisively when they “could have”. Now I understand how easy it is to say yet so difficult to do.
There is no question in my mind but that yes, any strike against Putin should absolutely be done en masse. NO NATO country, or ANY country, should act alone as a lone wolf. That would most likely end in disaster.
On paper that sounds good. In reality, it takes time to mobilize that kind of strike-force. It's impossible for any military formation to strike from a standing stop, and Putin will easily see any kind of mobilization, or other group movement, by yesterday. At the first sign of that kind of mobilization, Putin would likely strike just as you recommend, at a military force that is >most vulnerable< to attack - while changing from stand-by to full mobilization. (Clearly, the Russian army is already mobilized, no matter how allegedly inept.)
You're right, of course, but then I think of D-day. An en masse strike that was planned for *years* in secret, and the enemy did not know it was coming. My father was in the 704th anti-tank battalion, and they did all of their training here in the States until it was time for the attack. They shipped out just as the beaches were being stormed, and were there as the fresh, second wave, ready to move inland and carry out the Bulge. It was a plan that worked. So was a SEAL strike on Osama. That would be more what I would have in mind for Putin.
Let me draw your attention to the word *years.* In speaking of time-frames today, your talking about windows of opportunity of minutes, or less. On the other hand, in WWI the Germans - already mobilized - declared war on and struck Russia the moment Nicholas announced he was about to mobilize.
On the other hand, prior to D Day, the surveillance technology available to >anyone< was stone-age compared to today's.
Let me hasten to add, Bin Laden's intelligence resources were/are not even in the same league as the Russians'. It's almost like comparing apples to apple seeds.
Yes, and I hope to goodness our intelligence knows how much of the Russian military is not in that state (or if it is, and where)....it was clear that they were massing and mobilizing on Ukraine's border for quite some time. We did know it was coming, but hoped against hope that Putin would listen to reason.
Witness to a murder.Nuclear blackmail.Where is our bloated defense budget when we need it Use less. Brave Ukrainians will make up for our cowardice.
Agree. Thousands of our nuclear warheads are useless in these circumstances. So are jet bombers and complex weapons systems. It's a matter of brain, not brawn.
The Q-publicans are drawing up legislation for more defense spending even as we write these comments!
Oh yeah! They're supporting >both< sides of the issue, too. They're against interfering while simultaneously being in favor of going in and kicking arse! That way they can have a platform for all occasions when courting votes.
SIGH!
Putin is Qanon. The DUMBASSES in the US don't know it!
I have no doubt. Interesting thing, that "Q." There's a biblical interpretation designated "Q," as well as a character from the Star Trek series/franchise - played by John de Lancie : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_de_Lancie - known as "Q," who by definition was a part of a collective consciousness calling itself "Q." Make of all that what you might imagine. Q is an intrinsically interesting designation for any "anon."
As a later addendum to this comment, in the Star Treck Q, >everybody< in the "Q Continuum" is "Q" and named "Q." While alternately, the Q biblical interpretation seems to be the effort of a collective of unnamed biblical scholars designated "Q."
I loved John de Lancie as Q in TNG. As far as a collective consciousness, I was unaware that Qanon was conscious. I just thought they were mindless drones like the Borg. :-)
Like ol' Tweety, they flatter themselves. And ol' Tweety's a "stable genius!" LOL! ];-)>
ICYI: see my addendum to the comment you just replied to. RAM's a'gettin' >slow<, these days! LOL! ];-)>
Please do not call us cowards. Nuclear bombs are real and deadly threats. We are all in a tight spot with Putin and his nuke threats! Hopefully, the Russian people will get information needed to revolt, including Russian police!
There is one thing I know, the second in command will shoot the man who tries to push the button on nuclear war. That is why General Millie changed the launch codes on Trump. We cannot have a lunatic ending the world. Even the Russian generals have families.
Hawkeye ; Makes sense! It would be better to have a fake button like on a plastic kid's toy that would 'click' loudly enough to make 'em feel important! Then anesthetize 'em for awhile!
This makes sense. When dealing with such weapons of annihilation, safety is never 100%. But, it very well could be 99%. It can reasonably said that even if NATO protects the skies over Ukraine, Putin will not or not be allowed to use nukes.
I hope that I will use all of my physical powers to help fend off this bully & take his gun away to help. How can I live with myself if I don’t?
I agree.
But yesterday I offered some out of the box suggestions. It could be that there is a new Gorbachev we can empower. It could be that the CIA has a real life Carrie Mathieson from Homeland in settu waiting for orders.
It could be that Russia needs a revolution. Some 20 to 30 million ethnic Russians are estimated to live outside the bounds of the Russian Federation (depending on the definition of "ethnicity"). The vast majority oppose Putin and have contacts within Russia. They can be encouraged to constantly send accurate news to attempt to overcome propaganda. About 30% of the Russian population are already opposed to Putin. Add massive psyops from the west telling truth to the Russian people. IMHO individual Russian emigres will be far more credible with their compatriots than Russian propaganda was in the west.
Yesterday I identified Putin's girlfriend, reportedly mother of 4 of his kids living in Switzerland, his favorite hockey players living in DC and Pittsburgh, and others who could beseech him. There are more. I live near the Trump of Moscow, Miami resident. Aras Agalarov. friends with Putin and Trump.
I have created a petition to Putin‘s eldest daughter Dr. Mariya Putina please sign & share! She is a pediatric specialist in Moscow & definitely in his inner circle. The petition includes the photo taken of the pregnant woman being taken from the bombed hospital on a stretcher. It's in all the papers this morning that the woman and her unborn child died a horrible death despite efforts to save them. Time is of the essence & people aren't signing. It's a very simple petition aimed to reach Dr. Putina emotionally so she will use her influence. https://www.change.org/STOPtheDestructionoftheUkraine
I vote for Carrie! Go girl!!
What's amazing is that these guys have any friends... mostly business partners, I'm guessing
Exactly Patricia! I would never forgive myself if I didn’t try.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Most excellent, Patricia.
The Ukrainians should thank God that their country is in Europe and not in Africa. The world pays little attention to African wars, even though they are just as bloody (or worst) than what is happening in Ukraine. Just ask the Ethiopians. Interesting article on the war in Ukraine by an African journalist : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60603232.
This war IS different (though I completely agree that the press treats African war differently) Many wars are proxy wars. Iran arms Hezbollah and Hamas. Putin abets Iran. Putin and Xi abet Kim. This isn't a (pure) proxy war.
Putin is sly. He saw that Trump got away with bluster, and scared Xi, by being insane and acting erratic and unpredictable. (Of course, Trump & Russian Medalist Tillerson dismantled much of the U.S.'s diplomatic options, and undermined NATO.) So, now, Putin is acting erratic and unpredictable, playing chicken, to see how much he (& Xi!!) can get away with. ...And, to see how badly it will undermine Biden in the midterms, given the QOP's macchiavellian lust for power. It clearly is not just Putin: Xi is carefully watching to see what he can do to Taiwan, and how much they can weaken America.
Sadly: At some point, NATO needs to show that it's not afraid to act.
It's a false argument that NATO (or Biden) is afraid to act. There is a very real nuclear threat that can kill everything on Earth with escalation. African wars and China wanting to get Taiwan and all that other stuff is more divide and conquer. It's a distraction from the FACT that nuclear threat is real!
Heartbreaking and frightening
Yes very.
Sadly, the world is constantly playing annihilation chicken, and flirting with boundaries. Kim is encouraged to misbehave in North Korea. Iran arms Hamas, which has cause to provoke Israel. Putin has operatives in Syria zealously monitoring Israel's anti-missile defenses.
I would heart your comment, but It's like 'liking' annihilation chicken.
Sure: We, the folks on RR's substack, are sane people. Romney asked why we couldn't allow Poland to send its MiGs. QOP voters include war hawks who think (1) Biden is too weak; (2) Saint Ronnie would never have deferred to the commies; (3) Saint Donnie would never have deferred; and (4) they must send a message to Biden & the Dems in the midterms.
Mitch ; We'll just have to look at video clips of tRump ass kissing Putin and looking like a jerk! And the clip where he says he trusts Putin more than his own security people.
Somehow no one mentions Dump t and the Russian wives. Probably coerced marriage judging by visible power dynamic. There is more than meets the eye. Also, brainwashing? Many QOPs and anchors seem... hypnotized.
yes, it is plausible. There are those who would love mind control.
creepy scary!
Some evangelical QOP voters probably think Putin must be a messenger of their lord, because without his support of tRump, they never would have gotten a SCOTUS poised to outlaw abortion
Mitch ; All true. I saw on 'Ancient Aliens' once, a segment that explored the possibility that nuclear war has visited this planet in the past. There are large areas where the desert sands were molten and hardened like glass in such a way that only the extreme heat of a nuclear blast could have done. There are many artifacts that suggest space travel happened and artifacts and scrolls that depict ancient wars in the skies. This could be deja vu if we are not lucky.
Seriously?
Why not? Do you know everything?
The message they have already sent is that voting will be limited because they want to 'win'.
So true So sad So wrong. I do feel helpless and would like a way to help all but right now we are powerless unless we address the aggressors. Now go to the Russian people and plead.
Very few No and throughout history have the will or the courage to face the reality of what you have said here. It is wrong. It is sad. But it is true. We simply don’t have it in our genes to sacrifice if the clear benefit to our personal lives are not at stake.
"We" Americans don't have it in us. But, the Poles and Ukrainians have borne the brunt of Stalin's and Hitler's slaughters and purges. btw - Why did Poland only offer to send the MiGs via a U.S. base in Germany? Why does Israel fear offending Putin so much, and losing his permission to attack Iran's arms transfers to Hezbollah at Syrian depots?
Can things can be accomplished in back channels, hidden from the press, and with deniability? The media made a big deal over Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Poland via trains, and Poland filling the eastbound trains with food and supplies. Then, Putin takes out the trains.
Why can't Poland, Hungary or Romania play the erratic and unpredictable game of chicken, due to Russia's past aggressions, with Biden publically acting as if he cannot restrain our NATO allies from reacting to Russia's 21st century bullying due to all its 20th century bullying?
I agree that media is tucking plans to help Ukraine by blasting out information without check. Continually reporting WHERE Kiev citizens are hiding from bombs, WHAT weapons are being shipped to whom, etc., these MIG planes could be there already -- if it were not for the news media trumpeting every single strategic decision that crosses anyone's mind.
"TheFogOfWar" is now "InformationOverloadOfWar"
I was too pre-occupied with thoughts of war yesterday, when suggesting other NATO countries play erratic games of chicken.
Of course, defiant diplomacy is much saner & safer, as long as EU diplomats are willing to become martyrs to keep the trains running and delivering food & medicine!!
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/czech-polish-and-slovenian-pms-visiting-zelenskyy-in-kyiv/ar-AAV55k6
Defiant deplomacy? No so sane, without a ceasefire. A stalling tactic of the agressor. Ukrainian president is to naiive, saying the talks are... going well... to bolster his nation. Meanwhile giving the world a spurious reason to breathe and relax a minute.
I haven't ruled out the possibility of that happening >without< being a charade! That's the Gen Jack D Ripper scenario from Dr Strangelove, only with a country taking the lead, calculating it would force the rest to "go all in."
It's not about courage, It's not about our personal lives. it's about avoiding nuclear annihilation of the whole world, isn't it?
Yes, but...
RR posted that we don't know what's in Putin's head. Perhaps he's crazy enough to think he'd rather annihilate the world than live without power and wealth. However, I doubt Xi is crazy enough to let Putin annihilate the world. And, I doubt Putin can act without Xi's approval and support (tacit, at a minimum) (https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/politics/jake-sullivan-meeting-chinese-counterpart-ukraine/index.html)
I think Xi thinks China is en route to becoming the world's dominant power within a few years due to America's self-sabotage via the QOP... ....and, that Putin's Ukraine invasion is just a test as to whether Xi needs to wait more patiently
QUOTE: "It's about avoiding nuclear annihilation of the whole world, isn't it?"
Um. Today, having nuclear weapons is no longer a deterrence. Deterrence: is all sides unwilling to use nukes. Deterrence breaks when those with nukes deter, allowing genocide by a bully waving the red button around.
Deterrence is broken. That only worked when both sides were deterred.
They are, so far.....
I am so concerned.
Also this horrible terrorist war is preventing immediate movement to renewables.
Important article. TY.
You creep into the bullies house and slit his throat
Seal Team 7 time.
But what if the bully is not the one carrying out the attack? What if he is forcing innocent kids to beat up on the victim while he stands on the sidelines and watches the mayhem? What if a lot of kids who are scared of the bully refuse to go along with him but are threatened with attacks on them? Does violence toward an innocent victim justify retaliation? And just who is going to take the retaliation? Pretty soon, the entire neighborhood of kids will be involved, some of them won't want to be there but are too scared that the bully will turn on them, others don't really care as long as they are safe from attack, some even want to stay on the bully's good side as there's something in it for them or they might think the bully can be bought off and won't turn on them if they're loyal. We actually don't know who will win and who will lose except it appears everyone will lose, even those who have decided they don't want to hear about it. The kids beyond the reach of the bully and watching from a distance probably think it's none of their concern, some even support their own local bully no matter who he takes on, no matter how much he threatens and attacks his many enemies...they regard him as the leader of their tribe and will support that tribe no matter what. You see, it's all a mess but most of us have to try to help the victims and make sure that our OWN LEADER is not the bully of our neighborhood.
There are Russian soldiers who have abandoned vehicles that they deliberately damaged, so Putin's army can't use them to kill innocent people.
Thank you for your response, Laurie. I think it's important that we keep a clear head on the war and just who's involved and why. Our dispute is not with the long-suffering/ever deprived and disadvantaged Russian people (whether they be soldiers or civilians): our issues reside with Vladimir Putin and those ready/willing/able to do his bidding. PUtin is Russia's version of Trump (or vice-versa) and we must never overlook the fact that a good many innocent Russians and Americans are as much victims as are the Ukrainians. We have the advantage of being relatively safe and far from conflict but that does not mean that our Trump-bully has not done his share of harm to his own people and de-stabilized our associations with friends and adversaries alike. We should recall our own experiences for years and years in VIetnam but, unfortunately, we suffer from a kind of national memory loss that precludes any knowledge of what happened last week, let alone 40-50 years ago. That is essentially why we keep re-fighting the Civil War and use surrogates to refight wars and battles old folks occasionally talk about. Pretty soon WWII will be forgotten...it's also possible that we relive it as though it were yesterday. Whatever this is, it's important to remember that, for many Russians, there is no advantage of any kind to a war in Ukraine, that Putin will make sure that the war doesn't affect him or his wealth and power-hungry supporters, that the burdens of war are shifted to those at the bottom of the heap. The discouraging thing to note is that that is exactly what Trump favored as a strategy and that, tragically, that is what many still favor in our dealings with the world...take heart that there are those who do know the difference between the current conflict and the good fight.
We cannot protect the bully tools equally to the bully victims.
If the bully is smashing skulls with a minion's fist, the minion has to go.
I had to take on a gang of girls in high school. I had told them for 2 years that I would take on two at a time in hand to hand combat, and I would become more damaging and deadly as I worked my way through the gang. That warning worked until our senior year. The head of the gang kicked my locker door into my head. As my blood gushed, I knocked out the two biggest gang members, and the mice of the gang backed away. Had they not, I would have taken them down too. The mice have a choice. They can either choose not to fight, or be destroyed.
Your scenario is indeed terrifying to me but I come from a different time and place, one in which I guess I was a mouse as I avoided (and was taught to avoid) confrontation at all costs. I never won a battle of any kind because I never engaged in a battle. I was a patsy and, knowing what I have learned through life, I would be a patsy today. I guess the question is: "What sort of loser or patsy do you want to be?" As resorting to aggression has its own costs and creates a different sort of loser than the more obvious one that I was. I would have never thought of answering the question the way you did but, then again, my culture, my background, my values would have precluded going on the attack. Things have clearly changed.
That girl gang of druggies terrorized me because I was the new girl in school who moved into their town and into their neighborhood. I kept refusing to go to their drug parties. That was in the fall of 1974. That small town in SD had made national news as being the highest drug arrests per capita in the country. My mother moved us to there after our father died of cancer, as the two grew up there. It was no longer the town of the 50s she had remembered. One of my aunts said I was a fighter since I was born, inheriting my grandmothers enlarged adrenal glands, which in a fight or flight situation, gave me quite an advantage.
I guess, then, that you consider yourself a winner. I wonder, though, whether your victory has helped you in any way. I don't know but I don't think you have lost something but I don't quite know what.
Being a fighter, but only in self defense, has not only saved me from rape, but I have also saved other females. So yes, that is a win win situation. I tell all women they should be able to kill with their bare hands, since most women have to deal with rape at least one time in their life, especially when they go to college.
and do it while he is sleeping.
Putin is already successfully using his nuclear arsenal without any detonations. He is using it to intimidate the NATO into noninterference with his aggressive behavior. He moves with impunity against Ukraine while NATO demurs and withholds jets from Poland because the move might upset Putin. He's got the world over a barrel, and he knows it.
But there is pushback. There are more sanctions that Putin did not expect. The majority of nations are putting sanctions on Russia. Russian people are being informed by those outside the country of what is going on. Radio free Europe still exists and Russians can get information. People are going to get energy from other sources. The U.S. only used 4% or so of their oil from Russia.
I don't think it will matter. Unless NATO inserts some airpower into the fray, Kyiv will fall to the Russians.
Putin is giving the orders, but the generals and troops are doing the destruction. Where are they getting their food? They need fuel. Cut off their supply lines, hack their computers. They need communications. Hack their coms. They need food. They need water. They need air. Cut off their supplies.
I suspect that the Ukrainians are already doing this to the maximum extent possible. We may be helping covertly (I hope so). I read that the Russians screwed up their own secure military communication channel by destroying cell towers in Ukraine.
Here's one hacker: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/How-a-Silicon-Valley-exec-escaped-Ukraine-and-16982083.php
Tim, I suspect this also. Doing these things covertly.
Yes, surely the CIA can do something clandestine to stop Putin.
Germany annexed Czechoslovakia; we did nothing.
Germany invaded Poland, we did nothing, but England declared war and got Dunkirk.
Germany invaded a host of other countries, and we did nothing.
Germany declares war on the USA and we did nothing but "lend lease" for another 2 years.
When our military was finally ready, we went in on June 6, 1944 and if we did not have allies, would not have won. If Japan had not bombed Pearl Harbor, we may be looking at Europe today being under NAZI control. A "no Fly Zone" over Western Ukraine for humanitarian purposes and declaring it a Demilitarized Zone for all others other than UN forces run by NATO just like we had over Iraq, will not start World War 3 because our intentions will be made clear. No accidents, just counter force to give the Ukranian people a safe haven while the war rages and to allow the Ukrainian government a place to retreat to, so they will not be taken out and shot, while the United Nations decides what to do with the bully. Let the Russians know that if they take over Ukraine, then Ukraine will have the same sanctions as Russia and will not be able to sell the Ukrainian crops outside of Russia. They will have to re-build the cities alone without international help and they will inherit a broken economy and country.
You wrote "Germany declares war on the USA and we did nothing but 'lend lease' for another 2 years." Germany declared war on America on December 8, 1941, after which we immediately got fully involved in the war against Germany.
The US was fighting in North Africa in late 1942 and in Italy in 1943.
North Africa was an expeditionary force with Great Britton, not even in Europe, and Italy was against Mussolini and Italian troops until they gave way to German troops just about 2 years after Germany declared war. We also had B-17 and B-24 liberators dropping bombs on Germany flying out of England, but, taking back Europe, against Hitler, took many nations and really got started on June 6, 1944. Many voices, in America, did not want another commitment of fighting men in Europe until after December 8, 1941. That is when we found ourselves way behind in weaponry and manpower. "Lend lease" is exactly what we have been doing with Ukraine since 2014 bur eventually, we will need to do more. First should be humanitarian with the "United Nations" and a "No Fly Zone" and DMZ that would pose not direct threat to Russia if they do not bring weapons into or over the DMZ. The only aircraft allowed would be "United Nations" F35 aircraft. Easy to identify and armed top class. Like Chess, the bully knows the rules and if he tests our resolve, you remember what happen in "Desert Storm" in Kuwait to the Iraqi retreating troops. If Vladimir Putin does not remember, send him the video with the announcement of the DMZ and no Fly Zone.
This one is important: " Let the Russians know that if they take over Ukraine, then Ukraine will have the same sanctions as Russia and will not be able to sell the Ukrainian crops outside of Russia."
Interesting idea. In other words, permanent sanctions. I wonder how effective it might be.
Probably only slight, as the Ukrainian crops would feed Russia, even as the rest of the world was trying to starve it. That's part of why Russia wants Ukraine back in the first place. But, even an expanded Russia should be kept in a "pen" and not allowed out to play with the other kids.
Do you think the destruction in Ukraine would adversely affect its ability to feed Russia?
The Russians are destroying the cities, not the farms.
So far. Fingers crossed.
You would think so, all that bombing and destruction can't be good.
I agree with you! We need to stake a claim in west Ukraine and one justification would be exactly the same as Putin’s: NATO needs a buffer between Russian Ukraine and Poland, etc.
Yeah, I don’t think he’d care for that at all. In his mind, just as in Republicans’, he gets to do whatever he wants and no one else gets to do anything.
That's brilliant strategic thinking. I don't know if it would work, in fact, it may make things worse; nonetheless my mind is saying, "Yeah! Let's do that. Tit for tat." (Our laymen's minds probably immediately go back to how we handled things when fighting among our brothers and sisters. And it's somewhat appropriate because fighting is for children.)
For the past 6-7 years, we have lived under the regime of our own home-grown bully, we have either supported a cult leader using our country and its institutions for his own personal purposes or protested the obstruction of justice, the nearly daily attacks on the rule of law and our written Constitution as well as our ordinary citizens. Are we to be punished for having such leader who has inflicted his constant abuses far and wide? Are we to be judged and sentenced for crimes we did not commit and never approved in the first place? Are we to be stripped of our future, our education, our rights to speak our minds and live in peace with our neighbors because someone most of us never elected to public office has been at the helm, lying and cheating his way to what it is important to him (wealth, power, and expressions of love and approval)? We could turn these questions concerning our own state to the situation in Russia itself. Not all Russians are in favor of the course Putin has decided on, not all Russians are willing to attack and destroy their neighbors. Many are just kids who have been conscripted and told to get in there and fight, fight, fight, not unlike the American kids sent to Vietnam to kill other people. I find it is very hard for me to speak of the transgressions of a bunch of Russian teenagers who don't want to be there, killing other people who are just folks they don't know. I would imagine or expect that thoughts of the unwilling participants in a war might merit some consideration but that is not what will happen, if we can understand anything from history. Americans who traditionally turn a blind-eye to the plights of others until the very last moment when action is possible, will also find it convenient to label the Russian people as the enemy and take out their punishment on those at the bottom of Russian society, almost as though a lowly 18-year-old studying for exams was the leader of the country. After all, it's not as though we Americans have never had a maniacal power-hungry despot for our elected leader. Or have we? (Winston Churchill once described the Americans this way: "Americans will always choose to do the right thing...once all other options have been exhausted.." I guess we just have to wait for that happy day and down-peddle the misery that is coming from both sides till that day arrives. But, individually, we can do something and best get at it. Blaming the Russian people (those conscripted Russian teens) for the thing and punishing them are not particuarly good strategies; sending contributions to bonafide international service and charity groups sound a bit better and, I hope, will also alleviate the conditions into which all in the area have fallen. This "all" also includes the Russian kids!)
Our President has been working and organizing on a higher level. Don't dismiss the sanctions. We may well end up in WW Three, but, let's give our President the credit he deserves, stand with him, and not dismiss the serious actions he has already taken as a way of providing our NATO allies with support. War is Hell, Russian boots are not on the ground. Russia's youth, fed the big lie, were sent to the Ukraine, supposedly, protectively encased within armored tanks, were Hell-bent on destruction, following orders the 'big lie', Putin's Fake news and total control Dictatorship. This is Putin's War of destruction. Is it Good Bye to an innocent country? Will one man be the cause of a Third World War; Dictatorships vs Democracy simply for control! It is senseless, a world gone mad and no winners in the long run outcome! I pray I am wrong.
I don't see anyone here blaming the Russian people.
We send our youth to war because they can be trained to follow orders, no questions asked. Shame!
That is not democracy, for sure.
When people responding to Robert's allegory refer to "The Russians" as they have done (you might want to check it out), they are lumping soldiers and civilians together, they are assuming that the Russians are speaking with one voice. THey are suggesting that Russians support Putin uniformly and are doing his bidding when, in fact, there is considerable dissension among the Russians. I do not know how people abroad consider "the Americans" but I suspect that there is a similar tendency to lump us all together and to consider Trump as representative of a larger group than he really commands. For many years, Trump ruled the roost (or thought he did) and I am sure many foreigners took him as the spokesman for widely-held views. Some may have suspected that there was a serious American opposition to Trump as I am sure they read accounts of protests of one kind or another. I believe that any mention of "The Russians" or "The Americans" as though there is a uniformity of opinion and thought is bound to go astray and off-the-rails; however, it is not a good sign that we--all of us--are more than willing to describe the views of some of us as the views of all of us. This may be due to the fact that the diversity of opinions, beliefs, and values is in fact more alarming to most of us than reassuring...it's somehow comforting to be able to assign a label to millions instead of dealing with the fact that our individual thoughts may very well be our own.
Lanae ; It was my impression from what I monitor in the news, that Russian people were and are marching in protest of the invasion of Ukraine as people all, over Europe and America are. I heard a story on the news about a woman reporting that her son sent her a text saying he was going on a training mission. A short while later she learned that he was killed in a war zone, Apparently, conscripts were not told the truth about what they were getting into. The Russian people have a news blackout. No social media, tictok, facebook, twitter and all outside tv has been shut down. As many as 8,000 people have been violently arrested and detained, many jailed for 20 year sentencing for protesting or disseminating information about what is really happening in Ukraine. Putin is telling people on state tv that Ukrainians are killing Russian allied citizens in Ukraine in a genocide. He is calling them nazis and other names, and claiming to be defending loyal Russians from Ukrainans.
My point is that the Russian people are not a single block with shared beliefs. There are going to be people in Russia on all sides of every single issue. There are those who strongly hold with the Ukrainians and there are going to be people who support and defend Putin, just as we have supporters of Trump and those adamantly opposed to everything Trump does and stands for. Years and years ago, I attended a conference outside of Copenhagen. An American scholar was presenting a paper (in English) on a new idea concerning what is called oral-formulaic theory (Parry and Lord, The Singer of Tales). Behind me sat three Danes whispering in Danish at certain points; they didn't realize that (being a Danish teacher at UW-Madison) and from a Danish family I understood every single word they were saying and what they were saying was: "That's so American, how typically American." I thought at the time that that was downright insulting and dismissive as the guy was presenting a new idea and his idea merited as serious consideration as any other. I said nothing but I vowed never to engage in any kind of dismissal or put-down or grouping of people together for good or ill. Each person should be judged on the merits, as should the thoughts and ideas of each person. We can't really know what any of the people of Russia think or feel about the war and as a group; we do know there is some opposition to the war in Russia but we also know that there are people who support Putin and his demands. I really don't know what is going on in Russia; I barely know what's going on here but I do know that a blanket description of the Russian people is bound to be as flawed now as the "typical American" label applied to an American scholar many years ago.
I agree. In the 70's there was an idea that people who would communicate from different cultures would try to see where a person was 'coming from'. I am certain that you would be familiar with this phrase.' Where is his head at?' My grandmother who was from Canada and formerly spoke French thought that was hilarious! "It would be on his shoulders!" But, everyone has a different perspective. When I wrote about 8,000 Russians getting beaten and jailed, I knew that was a large number, but know there are many who support Putin. From what I remember of the descriptions of Russians, it seemed that the older ones were more likely to believe Putin than the younger ones, who were on social media and more of the world outside of Russia. Often, here in the U.S. the older people are considered more conservative. Except here, where I live, even the older are more progressive. Not all, but, unsurprisingly, the educated and those who read a lot.
Though I usually agree completely with the writings of Dr. Reich , and his motivation is unquestionable, this allegory represents a completely naive misunderstanding of international politics. I was forced to subscribe in order to make this comment , but have been totally surprised the lack of intelligence displayed by the well meaning commentators who are willing to sacrifice the people of Ukraine , and a nuclear third world war for an ideological power struggle between Russia and the US , in the form of NATO. The more money and weapons provided to the recent government of Ukraine, the longer the conflict will last, and the more people will die. The understanding of the interests and motivation of Russia, and a negotiated settlement is the only way left to end this conflict. Imagine the US response if a socialist/communist government would be elected in Mexico , and they would invite an alliance of Russia, China, Iran , and North Korea to place troops and nuclear weapons in Juarez , Tijuana, and all along Trump's border wall. Kennedy was and is praised for being willing to risk a nuclear war to prevent Russia from installing nuclear weapons in Cuba. Putin probably imagines himself in that tradition. The concept of Evil is a religious invention, which refuses to understand the interests and motivation of ones enemies . The science of conflict resolution is needed much more than the red badge of courage.
I applaud your sophisticated but wrongheaded reasoning. No NATO country has in recent past ever done anything to Russia. And the US and other countries have tried to normalize relationships with Russia. Russia has annexed Crimea and taken over the Donbas. Oh yes remember Georgia. Remember the little green men. Putin is a murderer who wants to make Russia back to what it was as the USSR for his own glory. He has poisoned and killed individuals whose reasoning, read not militarily aggression, Has been a threat to him. He puts dissidents in jail. Ukraine in particular has done nothing untoward to Russia, and has only been a victim of Putin. It’s time for NATO to put a stop to this. Reich’s logic is both simple and true. Stop imaging what’s not true and deal with the facts on the ground.
You know, your post makes me wonder what his grand Russian empire would actually look like. Would he reinstate feudalism, because that was what they had under the empire. How does he propose to get any of the countries in question to buy into this? With the west squeezing their economies are they going to be happy people, or will China take up the slack? I’m not sure he’s thought any of this through. He’s just angry and is indulging an insatiable lust for power.
The root of the current horrible war is NATO's arrogant expansion to the borders of Russia despite its promise not to do so and despite adamant opposition to it by Russian governments. NATO is a military alliance hostile to Russia. Russian governments since the collapse of the Soviet Union have proposed dissolving NATO and substituting a mutual security agreement for all of Europe guaranteeing security for all its nations. NATO said no and marched to Russia's border, and declared its intention to expand even to Ukraine which has a 1400 mile border with Russia. The people of Crimea and Donbas rose in armed revolt after the February 2014 coup by Western Ukrainians (Kyiv is in Western Ukraine), supported by the Obama Biden Administration, against the legally elected Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich, who was from Donbas, and for whom they had voted in the 2010 election. Because of all this, Ukraine is a divided country, not a united one. If NATO had accepted that Ukraine would remain neutral and not join it, this war would not have happened. Instead, once again, NATO/US western imperial arrogance said no to stopping its expansion, goading Putin into invading. When will our world's leaders start declaring peace instead of war?
I don't think it's that simple. The world no longer revolves around Russia and the West. Other nations have a right to self determination. If Russia didn't want their neighbors rushing to join NATO for their own safety and protection, they should have treated them better.
Remember, Russia promised not to invade Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine giving up their nuclear weapons.
Finally, Ukraine was nowhere close to joining NATO and posed no immediate threat to Russia. How do you explain Russia's urgency to launch an invasion?
Yes the West was foolishly arrogant and Putin's Russia deeply resents us for it. I'm less sure we could have avoided conflict with Russia. The military industrial complex on both sides was too eager to find new enemies to justify their existence. After the Soviet Union fell, look how quickly tiny Iraq became a threat to are national security requiring drastic military action. The Bush administration was determined to avoid a peaceful resolution.
I agree with most of what you said, except that Ukraine was no where near joining NATO. It was already getting training from NATO, coordinating military command and control, and allowed a NATO naval electronic surveillance station. Zelensky for the past year (post Trump) has loudly been demanding a NATO decision to let it in. I think it was much closer than we have been allowed to know.
Victor Ochoa ; It was my impression that President Zelenskyy wanted to join NATO.
That is true, there are several Youtube videos showing his statements about it over the past year.
Here's the thing. I appreciate your takes on history, but I think there may be one event that took place which effectively destroyed any remaining "moral authority" the US may have had. I was raisin' hell about it being all bullshit at the time, and the wanker on the podium making faces like he was a'tellin' ghost stories to children about WMDs. It certainly provided a cover of precedent to Putin's actions - even if only in Putin's mind and nowhere else - as well as any possible Chinese moves in it's region. Here's a British take on what I'm talking about you might find both entertaining and enlightening. Drama >based on< true events it may be, but I think you'll find truth in the drama: https://www.amazon.com/Official-Secrets-Keira-Knightly/dp/B07XG7R8F9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MR92NIQRQ4BV&keywords=official+secrets+prime+video&qid=1647996437&sprefix=official+secrets%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1 There's even a small snippet at the end featuring the woman portrayed in the drama.
Whatever the historic context of the region, I think this has a more immediate impact on events in Ukraine today than anything else anyone has offered yet. It's where we handed Putin a free pass to everything he's done since. The drama is mostly about British involvement, but pay special attention to what it says about the crap the US was pullin'.
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Pearl B. Spodick
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Dear Professor Robert Rich,
Thank you for emailing me the thread responses. I tried to send a year subscription to my son, Edward at U.S.T. (Univ. of Science and Technology) in Hong Kong, but, sadly, it was not accepted as a valid email. I find your email a touch of reality, important, relevant, and well worth reading. Because I'm up-in-years, I frugally pay monthly, rather than purchasing the $50 subscription for a year, e.g., a famous humorist one said, "I'm so old, I don't even buy ripe bananas anymore". (Humor intended.)
F.Y.I, I am a longtime member of Common Cause, secondly, I find your email blog educationally enriching, and well worth the read, and I own one of your more than fifteen published books, e.g.,"The Common Good".
In sum, I need and very much appreciate the quality of your common-sense style of seemingly, sharing your observations in a thought-provoking, fully digestible manner. The world needs you in it, rational, healthy, wise, and, seemingly, contented. I may fall behind here and there, finding the responses intriguingly relevant, but, for the most parts, I'm keeping up with the proficiency of your computer fed articles in your Blog. I highlight the title for later reading, today, tomorrow, and . . .sometime in the future. your life seemingly excels in learn-ed practice, and teachings of America's ideals, never to be taken lightly. Thank you.
The process is as on-going as blending past and present, our blessings co-mingled with what will become future events; our lives ever dependent upon the integrity of sharp minded individuals whom we vote into office because we believe they have proven themselves worthy of our trust, capable of making clearheaded leadership decisions that affect our lives. We are responsible for voting officials into office, the losers when a responsible party isn't elected. Carelessly made, wrong decisions, may, or may not be immediately apparent, so, we live whatever happens, until the next election.
Donald Trump's history is one of being a big-mouth, blatantly flaunting his oversized ego in outlandishly cruel, manipulative, and disrespectful ways. The writing was on the wall long before this power hungry male was elected to America's highest office. Our mistakes include the problems evident in our Electoral College's power to overrule the popular vote. Donald Trump's lust for power was glaringly apparent in this man's every action, before, during, and after dishonorably sitting in this country's highest seat! Unbelievably, we, as a people, actually allowed him to feed his ego's power hungry, insatiable ambitions, and even harvest a massive, cult-like following of politicians and American citizens.
In retrospect, D.T.'s disregard for the dignities awarded him as President, most assuredly awakened most of us to the grievous seriousness of how closely we came to having our freedoms taken away by a maniacal, self acclaimed leadership hungry Dictator Hell bent on winning re-election; a man who ruthlessly sought to divide, conquer, and control our country.
Much to our chagrin, D.T.'s actions exposed weaknesses in our Constitution. Our founders, brilliant and foreseeable as they were in providing clearly defined governmental checks and balances to be built into our Constitution and Bill of Rights. American Citizens have been lulled into believing that our Constitution and Bill of Rights were near perfect, America's rock-solid foundation, a beautiful reflection of our young country. Indeed, like our country, it, too, apparently requires closer viewing, perhaps, like we, the people, it, too, is a work in progress.
Where do we stand in our commitment to integrity? You raise the questions, pose possibilities, offer facts. How do we assure everyone has an opportunity to become well-educated, committed to community involvement, good government, public service? We're seriously in need of your teachings to help us evaluate our own behaviors, digest, practice and hold in highest esteem the values we, supposedly adhere to as a nation of free people with equal rights to the pursuit of happiness. Nothing can be taken for granted if America's quest is to live up to our ideals. We must re-evaluate ourselves, re-educate ourselves, generation to generation, birth to death. We cannot afford complacency.
Respectfully,
Pearl B. Spodick
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Putin's Russia invaded under all kinds of pretenses that Russia needed to save the people of the Ukraine from Nazi extremism. Not so! Lies, lies, lies. Ukrainian people were/are peace-loving neighbors, now terrorized by Putin's lust for power, not NATO's, or the U. S.
See my new response to Victor that includes a link to a British film you may find interesting. I'm thinkin' maybe that what Putin did has less to do with current events in Ukraine than precedent set by the US.
Q-publican style "legally elected?" But then again, that's purely internal politics. So you're justifying invasion by a foreign power based on an internal political matter? Take care. I thought GWB was - and still is - a dyed in the wool asshole for invading Iraq to impose "regime change" - when all it was ever >really< about was the oil. Indeed, I think Putin learned how to talk the kind of trash he does about Ukraine from the garbage puking out of GWB's mouth daily about Iraq - not that I was ever a big fan of Saddam. (I'm persuaded it was in our national security interest to root Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan, and that the Taliban was providing safe haven to our enemy.) Saddam too - on the other hand - was a wanker, but a wanker that could have been turned to serve our security interests. It would have served his self-interest. Putin could just have easily engaged in the kind of diplomacy you seem to advocate >without< an unvarnished land-grab and subsequent invasion. All it would have taken is to persuade the Ukes that Russia was a better ally than NATO. He failed to do that. Indeed, he didn't even >try< to do that. You want over-simplified, well there's the kind of simplicity you may appreciate - whether or not you like it.
International observers found the election fair. Look at a map of the election and you will see the country divided between west and east with the east voting for Yanukovich. I am not justifying the invasion, I am putting it into historical context to try to understand what lead up to it. You say it was in our national security interest to invade Afghanistan but cannot see one for Russia? I can understand its point of view regardless of Putin. Yeltsin, Putin's predecessor also adamantly opposed NATO expansion but could do nothing about it because Russia was in a state of collapse, which NATO took advantage of. I repeat, Ukraine is a divided country, especially since the Feb 2014 coup, The west is very pro-European and the east and south (Crimea) pro-Russia. That is just the political and social reality of that country. Plus Crimea is the home base of Russia's Black Sea Fleet for 250 years. I do not believe any Russian leader would accept it being evicted and replaced by a US/NATO fleet. I encourage you to read Putin's Feb 21 statement where he elaborates on his position, including his historical analysis. War is hell, and it will only end when peace is negotiated, I do not see either side winning militarily without completely destroying the country and possibly sparking a European or even a world war, which could end all humanity.
Agreed.
I agree!
Other than you, Putin knows the US tried to poison Castro, is the only nation to use nuclear weapons, invaded Irag, Afghanistan, Viet Nahm..., attempted to block the pipeline allowing Russia to sell badly needed gas to Germany , (Gas and oil are the basis of the Russian economy). Your "facts" are incomplete and biased, and such a position prevents a negotiated settlement which is the way to save more lives in Ukraine.
Do you think for one moment that the educated world believes that Putin and his cronies give a damn about saving lives? Infact Putin has made it a point to send assassins to kill his enemies in other countries.
True, but our country does not have clean hands either. Our government has invaded militarily, fomented coups, assassinated leaders of other countries, etc., for many years.
I know we have invaded other countries. We invaded Iraq and Afghanistan but not to take it over. There were times when we help overthrow duly elected a government, (Chile, and Guatemala). I do not recall our being involved in unprovoked invasion with the purpose of taking the country over. Nor do I recall where we would purposely attack civilian targets (hospitals, apartment buildings, schools water treatment plants and other purely civilian targets). It is my opinion that we can't be compared to Putin and Russia.
I know our history is not spotless, we have supported dictators, we allowed slavery and treated blacks and the American Indians less than the white man, however I do not recall our government promoting savagery against other nations. I do not know of any of our Presidents that promoted what is happing in Ukraine.
You suggest a "negotiated settlement?" You are naive if you think you can negotiate with a terrorist. There would be no negotiation, just utter capitulation to the weak chinned putin.
I don't see anyone here wanting to go nuclear.
Nobody wants to go nuclear! The problem is are we going to let Putin threaten nuclear war which is mutual destruction and keep doing whatever the heck he wants to do. Everything‘s at risk in life. I personally feel this is a bullies tactic which he won’t use against the whole world. Keep in mind if he were to actually do that it would not affect onlY NATO and the United States it would affect China and all the countries in the world.
I actually had that in mind! Hey, I'm as eager to help Ukraine as anyone, but I am not in a position of power to make any decisions. There are generals with years of experience and military experts on the air saying nukes and even conventional jets could start something we cannot stop. Is Biden working for the 'dark side'? are the networks misinforming us? I'm not convinced. Good people did not oppose the war in Iraq, though. It's awful!
@m leftwich. But there remains the question of how...
I believe Russia is not interested any longer in an empire, but in defending itself against US led power alliance dedicated to destroying it economically , and culturally , and militarily . Understanding the world from Russia's point of view , would allow for the beginnings of a negotiated peace . The US , who is familiar with the motivation of invasion, and regime change from our experience in Irag, Afghanistan , Lybia , .to mention a few , needs to lead the way in setting up an agreement that considers also the interests of Russia. If there will be regime change, it will be in Ukraine before in Russia.
We need to be careful not to confuse Putin with "Russia." The Russian people gave no interest other than survival, but they have no voice in Putin's regime. Putin himself is the big unknown. We don't know if he's mainly interested in (1) defending Russia against an expanded NATO, (2) expanding Russia to the borders of the old Soviet Union, or (3) imposing his own personal will on the world, or if he's simply insane. Unless or until we figure out what's in his head, we're severely handicapped in terms of strategy.
In the same line of thinking, we also don't know if he is playing a head game on the us. Regarding NATO, why do nations joint NATO? Is it to join a group of nations who are interested in acquiring real estate by invading other countries or do they do it for protection from countries they are afraid of? I personally think that Putin is insane just like a fox.
Agreed.
Dr Reich, I have lived half my life in Europe. While your understanding of domestic politics is admirable , your text above indicates a poor understanding of the cold war, and of Putin . Russia cannot expand to the borders of the old Soviet Union, as while Russia army is the largest in Europe, it is one third the size of NATO , and his weapons are not anywhere near as powerful. He is attempting to lead his country which was economically weak before this conflict, and may soon be bankrupt. The Iron curtain came down , and the Soviet Union was dissolved because Russia saw they could not compete with the economic power that funded our overgrown military . Putin has said that whoever does not regret the death of the soviet union has no heart, but whoever wants to see it recreated has no brain. Though it is difficult to measure insanity, I doubt that he is more insane than Donald Trump , and so far I think he is responsible for less deaths than GWB. As I have written in another comment, Kennedy was and is admired for his willingness to risk a nuclear third world war to prevent Russia from installing nuclear weapons in Cuba. Putin may imagine himself as following in Kennedy's footsteps. Imagine the US reaction if Mexico , with its relatively corrupt government would elect a socialist/communist president who would invite an alliance of Russia , China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea to station troops , and nuclear weapons in Juarez , Tijuana, and along the Trump border wall. Empathy is the ability to see the world from another's viewpoint, and understanding Russia's demands and views will be the beginning of negotiated peace . The alternative of trying to force regime change in in Russia is going to lead to more death and destruction , and possibly to a nuclear war.
My question: who the devil was seriously proposing parking a bunch of nukes on Uke turf, a land that divested its stockpile - which accounted for a considerable share of the Soviet nuclear arsenal - for guarantees of its sovereign territorial integrity? I seriously doubt hosting a nuclear arsenal is what the Ukes had in mind, and am quite unlikely to be persuaded otherwise. Indeed, what's coming to pass now is >exactly< what Ukraine wanted NATO protection against. Go ahead try and telling me what's happening right now isn't happening right now. Go ahead and try to convince me current events aren't proof their concern was well founded. Go ahead and try telling me not to believe mine own eyes. Go ahead and try telling me 4 is 5. Go ahead and try!
yes: the Russian people do not want war.
A college friend went abroad for a foreign study program in Russia in the late 1970s Cold War era. Russians were friendly to him, and let him know they lost many relatives in WWII, and didn't want war with the U.S., and don't want more deaths
Perhaps there needs to be a more active broadcast work-around to Putin's media blackout to let the people know about their relatives coming home from the Ukraine in body bags
Those body bags took a long time to stop the Viet Nahm war, and 20 years to stop the invasion of Afghanistan..
Putin isn't afraid of military aggression by NATO. That is his BS talking point. This is all about Putin's ego.
1) Putin grew up with the Soviet Premieres as his heroes. When they spoke, the whole world stopped to listen. For the last decade, the US has been saying that when it was done in the middle east, it was pivoting to China. Basically saying that Russia is no longer a player worth considering. Putin's ego can't take that. He wants the world to stop and listen when he speaks.
This is a temper tantrum from Putin. The world moved away from military power to economic power as it's defining characteristic. Russia has some power in oil and natural gas, but it isn't really a major power economically and it never will be. This is Putin screaming "look at me, look at me, I'm important!!" because it is the only way that the world will pay attention to him.
He wants to be the big bad. If you can't be Batman, do you want to be Joker or Calendar man?
2) Putin has basically said that he wants to rebuild the Soviet empire. He wants to be the great leader who rebuilt the empire after the fools of the 90's destroyed everything. Countries joining the EU/NATO means that they are out of bounds for that. That is the threat from NATO. That once countries join, he has no chance to dominate them anymore. Of the remaining Soviet nations that haven't joined NATO, Ukraine is the most successful. Largely because it pivoted away from Russia to the EU. Half the world already thinks that Belarus is just a state within Russia. What else is there? Georgia? Azerbaijan? Kazakstan? Ukraine would be the crown jewel.
What a baby.
@m leftwich. It may be important to display a professional perspective (conflict resolution) but it is also important to be truthful. You are attributing motives to US policy that are not true (at least in the public sphere). You go so far as to now sound like a Russian bot...
The United States has a policy of opposing Russian aggression, not of trying to bring Russia down. Our international policies have not been those of angels, almost anyone would say, But underneath it all, the United States would embrace, not oppose, a Russia that had a civilian government focused on Russian domestic issues and concerns.
Not bring Russian down, but to bring it under economic control to extract profit from its rich natural resources.
When did he switch from wanting to reconstitute the empire to defending Russia against so-called U.S.aggression? This is passive aggressive behavior. You accuse someone of doing something (not you personally—I mean the impersonal you) until you actually bring it about. But why is he picking a fight? Is this the same as what Trump does to get people all riled up, and if so why does he need it? He’s already in power.
Please see my other comment (a reply to Tim Baldwin). I really think Xi & Putin are slyly plotting together to defeat democracy
I will look for your comment but I would add Trump to that conspiracy.
Hardly surprising.
Please see the reality. Regime change is not the US strategy! Putin has accepted to be capitalized for the last 30 years.
NATO has asked to have the US as the protector, why not!
Ukraine and others have been very productive and Russia is loosing its political world standing because of the power of China. Thus the solution is to conquer. Alliance with another so called communist country China with hundreds of Billionaires is to inject fear unto the weaker X Russian Soviets, while China is intelligently forging a world alliance to conquer the world and feed their more than a billion people.
Do we see the projections ?
1) Putin will conquer most of the lost Soviets Slaves.
2) China will conquer Taiwan and rule the chip capital of the world!
Money is the main-objective.
The world has to stop its thirst for power and more billionaires.
Wall Street is the main culprit since their goal is to profit no matter what.
Do they really give a dammed about the US?
Now that our world is being killed by a fast moving “ Climate Pandemic”?
This is not purely Putin. (I have a comment on another thread...) This is also Xi seeing how much he can abet Putin to weaken democracy, and facilitate the QOP power-lust to undermine America in the midterm elections
Pull our manufacturing out of China. We can’t continue to strengthen it the way we’ve been doing.
That is what has weakened us. Outsourcing production and jobs.
Yes! And it’s enabled Trump and Murdoch to spread dangerous lies. It’s also largely responsible for all the tent cities (as well as digitization, monopolies, tax laws, opioids, and starving the mental health system).
Right. But, it hasn't been a one-way relationship. The corporatocracy has been benefiting from China's cheap labor, at the expense of America's middle class. And, the sanctions have shown China that it needs to curb its financial ties to the U.S., so economic sanctions don't interfere with its invasion of Taiwan. Ultimately, China's threat to the US will involve withholding its rare earth metals. Fortunately:
https://tfiglobalnews.com/2022/02/13/china-loses-the-only-monopoly-it-still-had-in-the-world/
Agreed.
Along with others in overwhelming force you act against the bully. You either put the bully in jail or you beat him up so badly that he gives up his bully behavior. This is what NATO should do with Putin. It should use the least amount of force, in stepwise fashion, to defeat the invading Russian forces and/or influence Putin to withdraw. A no-fly zone, already requested by Zelenky, would be a good start. Of course, there is some risk that Putin will use nukes, and then NATO will need to use nukes in a proportional response, but some things are worth fighting for and dying for. The community of nations (UN or NATO) must protect national sovereignty, democracy, and the lives of persons. The bully must be brought down.
A small Tactical nuke targeting Putin himself at that point.
Yes, if Putin even uses one tactical nuke, then one aimed at him would be proper.
“Tactical” nuclear bombs.
An absurd concelt.
No, they are a real thing, regardless of your admonitions to the inventor. This is from Wikipedia: "A tactical nuclear weapon (TNW) or non-strategic nuclear weapon[1] is a nuclear weapon which is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations mostly with friendly forces in proximity and perhaps even on contested friendly territory. Generally smaller in explosive power, they are defined in contrast to strategic nuclear weapons, which are designed mostly to be targeted at the enemy interior away from the war front against military bases, cities, towns, arms industries, and other hardened or larger-area targets to damage the enemy's ability to wage war." Get it?
Clearly this is what nuclear blackmail looks like. It’s harder and harder to see an off-ramp to this atrocity. I had some sympathy with the voices that NATO went too far but how could we not include Poland and the Baltics? The true nature of Putin was revealed in 4 wars leading up to the present. I am bracing myself for a horrific week.
I might get my ears boxed with what I say here. No, we should NOT stand by and watch the slaughter of human life. Sanctity of life is one of the attributes that differentiate us from the predators in wildlife. We don't eat our young nor the young of others. Smerconish, who airs on CNN Saturday mornings, presents a question for a vote from his viewers at the end of the show. In the last three weeks, he's asked questions circling the one you asked. This week concerned whether we should help with a 'no fly zone.' (I think.) ALL three weeks received an overwhelming 90% (32,000 plus viewers) YES for the U.S. to stand up to Russia. I feel we are cowards. That is not our DNA. (We can debate the other side of that at another time.) I wrote a blog yesterday and was amazed that Republicans and Democrats alike wrote to me questioning their own resolve: Can I watch this daily slaughter and allow the bully to continue? Robert, do you think Putin will stop with the Ukraine? We need to send the WORLD-OF-BULLIES a message: Don't mess with human rights. Don't kill children. Do not do it for 'we the people' will protect the innocent, provide justice where injustice exists, and not allow 'man's inhumanity to man.' We said, "Never again." Yet we stand on our shores at a distance. We've seen bodies rolled into ditches. Is this not a reminder to those who remember, who should remember of Hitler's death camps? No, the U.S. needs to act and call the bully's bluff. All bullies are consumed with an arrogance of weakness. Call his bluff and by so doing we also send a message to other powers of the world: Do not, do not think of dehumanizing a people, denigrate their dignity, destroy their land, and take away their freedom.
We are not cowards. We defend NATO land and people. What about that is unclear? All nations in North Atlantic region need to meet requirements and join asap. 26 old jets are a bungled mess, but not the issue. Send Ukraine high altitude air defense system.
I agree with you about the need for a high altitude defense system in Ukraine. Absolutely! I do think in our global society that human life outside of NATO countries has value, too, even if they do not belong to NATO. We have a right to disagree because we are a Democracy. We have a right to express our views openly in writing without fear of repercussions. I wish this for all in our entire world, not just the 'special few' in NATO. One caveat: I did not use the word "cowards."
I agree we can all disagree and debate as a free democracy. The National Alliance formed after WWII against Russian aggression is not unattainable special group. It is a level for all countries who believe in democratic values to support and achieve, if they know importance of it and support their candidates of same beliefs.
oh come on man - same 90% sent us into Iraq even knowing no WMD and no connection to 9/11 sounded off just like you and Hilliary and others in congress did not even reading the Intel secret report. Using silly stuff on critical issue sounds like Smerconish. Do you think Smerconish would point out how we handle same type bulling Israel does with Palestine. Or would Smerconish go over to Africa and do live report. come on man Smerconish is exact mold as Carlson, making money as big dog actor. Velshi is much much better reporter to listen to.
Cliff ; 90%? of who sent us into Iraq? I still think GWB and others who are still alive should be treated as war criminals. But it's easy to say what we would do in their positions, since we had had 911 and there were still very hard raw feelings. the ones who opposed the war in Iraq were few for a reason. And it was not because it was such a good idea! The same hesitancy keeps justice from happening now in America. There are plenty of Traitors and Seditionists holding seats in our government and on our courts, even the 'Supreme' court! Justice is extremely slow! Like the coupdetat!
It would be even simpler to do this in Africa or Saudi Arabia, yes? Good article shared above by Mr Baldwin from the BBC Mar 6. We don't treat all bullies equally. Seems that if we did, and took care sanctioning the lower hanging "bully fruit," perhaps the bigger bullies who can create irreversible global conflagrations would never get to that point.
What did we do in Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Chile, I could go on. We do not have clean hands when it comes to being a "bully."
Lee Ann Morgan ; What cost worldwide annihilation? Nuclear war would end all lives on the planet! this is not a bluff to take lightly. See if the increased sanctions and opposition from the Russian people themselves make a difference. Meanwhile, hope that some Seals get in there.....
Obviously, there is only one thing to do: You pull out your phone, videotape the bully's ruthlessness and threaten to post it online if he doesn't stop. Because the bully, like you, is so filled with rage from an unjust, exploitative system that profits off of making life harder for him and his family that he'll even lash out at kids, at anyone and anything that will allow him to feel slightly powerful and in control of his constantly-spinning world, even if only for a moment. He is so overcome with anger at the endless grind and its inhuman obstacles that the only threat that breaks through the adrenaline-fueled fury is a video that, if seen by his employer, could mean the end of his paycheck and his ability to keep his family indoors during this brutal winter, and the end of the health insurance that keeps the life-saving treatments coming for his wife. And so, even when away from work, he realizes there is nowhere he can go where financial incarceration and despair do not define who he is, what he can be, and how he can act, for as cruel as he can be, nothing is as relentless and unforgiving as the American economy.
Russia is putting out a tremendous amount of propaganda saying they’re going in to protect. They have their own pics and videos to show their population. So exposing them is like convincing Trumpians that he lost…both times!
Suckers fall for propaganda all the time. Russian/Trump propaganda pitted the divide between the police and the Black community, and was a running theme, clearly through posts around “Blue Lives Matter” vs. “Black Lives Matter.” Furthermore, it exaggerated a sharp division in the African American community. It worked. I listen to Spanish language radio. They want a caudillo before all else.
National security may be the antidote to the BIG LIE. Trump was told that Putin was offering a bounty on Americans in Afghanistan, but released the Taliban. Trump is an open and OBVIOUS sucker for Putin.
tRump is the American Taliban.
I agree with you. As has been said by others, "the first victim of war is the truth."
Economic sanctions are too little too late.
Or maybe you offer to help make his life better.
Are you kidding? Offer to make Putin's life better? You think that being nice to a narcissistic psychopath will influence him to stop bullying? I don't think so. These kind of persons only respect superior power.
Not Putin: Russia.
You said "his," and Putin is the only man we have been discussing. The proper response to a psychopath's aggression is not to offer to make his life better, but to actually punish him by making his life worse in some way.
When I said “his” I was referring to the bully in the analogy. I agree that sometimes you just have to meet force with force. But often people bully because they’re miserable and feel helpless. This is what Trump and Fox News try to exacerbate so they can manipulate them. Happy people don’t need to lash out, which is why despots and idiots like Murdoch try to get people all riled up. Now, in the case of Putin he’s beyond hope. But if he were gone and the Russian people were happy, they’d have no need to pick on others. Unfortunately there will always be warped personalities who will come along and ruin everything. But on a strictly personal level, if you can intervene early enough perhaps you can help them (them meaning potential bullies).
I think the kind of bully you are speaking of is rare and is not Putin. He is the other type. He is not helpless. He is a powerful, confident, arrogant, warped, narcissistic bully. This is one of those cases where you have to "meet force with force," as you said. Putin is not a child. It is too late to intervene helpfully with him. He must be stopped by force.
Your allegory is perfect; but there is no ending to it. How, in the name of God, does this end?
I would do precisely what the Biden administration is doing. Barring reckless actions that could result in everyone’s demise, I would use every available means to intensify the kid’s ability to defend him or herself while also attempting to disrupt the bully’s ability to continue assaulting the kid.
Given the odds, I imagine, at best, I conceivably could engineer conditions whereby each kid would be just strong enough never to lose and just weak enough never to win.
Barbara Jo, Thank you, your comment is helpful. Many other comments today express rage and frustration about our failure to find some overt action to stop Putin, a way that does not risk escalation to nuclear warfare. I don't think there is any. Putin has already made it clear signal that his nukes are ready. But there are things we can do indirectly that will cost Putin dearly. The Biden administration has already done some: sanctions, denial of access to the SWIFT system, etc. Those measures are not one-off; they will continue to bite until we lift them. Meanwhile Putin continues to waste blood and treasure while the battle goes on.
Time is not on Putin's side.
Bob, Clearly, I appreciate your comment. Nonetheless, when you surmise there is no way to stop Putin without risking an escalating nuclear exchange, respectfully, I disagree.
I understand Ukrainians are convinced that they, alone, can win this war if provided with the needed weaponry. To that end, Ukrainians are prevailing upon Western leadership for a stronger NATO response, begging Western democracies to step up and provide Ukraine with all needed air defense support systems to protect the skies from Russian bombs and provide Ukraine with safe spaces.
Considering that Russia is encountering a staunch Ukrainian resistance and a unified Europe, while also suffering substantial losses and exhausting a lot of its munitions, I believe, as stated in my original posting, that Russia, like Ukraine, could end up just strong enough never to lose and just weak enough never to win, an outcome resolvable only through a negotiated settlement.
Barbara Jo, You may be right. It was timidity and vacillation of other nations that gave Hitler the early opportunities he needed. So maybe we should take the chance in spite of the risk of escalation and stop Putin here and now, at Ukraine, because we know if he wins Ukraine Putin will not stop there.
I do think both Putin and the United States are prepared to use "tactical nuclear weapons" in this conflict. "Tactical Nukes" are just little ones, the size of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. And they are designed to produce minimal residual radiation. There has been a lot of buzz about them lately.
I tend to agree with you here, Bob. If NATO were to enforce a no-fly zone, Putin may or may not respond with a tactical nuke. If he does, then NATO must respond in degree and kind. At some point I think Putin will not risk all-out nuclear war and the annihilation of his own country just for the goal of taking Ukraine. I think NATO should call his bluff.
Bob, As for your statements regarding “tactical nuclear weapons,” I couldn’t disagree with you more and, frankly, am distressed we’re even having this conversation.
From the start, my position has been that we provide the Ukrainians with everything they need short of establishing no-fly-zones, which could lead to Americans and Russians shooting at one another.
Barbara, you said "I couldn’t disagree with you more and, frankly, am distressed we’re even having this conversation." I am very distressed that you are distressed that we're having this conversation. Fortunately, Robert Reich supports the open marketplace of ideas and discussions and debates of controversial ideas. You should be overjoyed that we are having this conversation. Reasoning and debate are the beginning of problem solving in a democracy.
Gary, If you read my bio you will note that I view open discussion and dialogue as the ultimate attribute of a free and open mind. That said, as someone who has spent much of her adult life advocating for nuclear disarmament, I invariably will become distressed, generally speaking, by the prospect of nations acquiring, let alone deploying, nuclear weapons of any sort.
Barbara, it all depends how you define "win" and "lose." Without military intervention by NATO, Putin will win, as I have described. Just wait and see.
Not so sure, ask the Finns. Ukrainians are much tougher than Putin expected. There are reports of Russian soldiers quitting; a lot of them were told it would just be a military exercise. Russian POWs are treated well and allowed to call home to tell the reality and that word spreads out...
Well, the Ukranians are putting up a good fight and economic sanctions against Russia are helpful. However, in the end numbers of soldiers, numbers of weapons, and the power of weapons will win the day for Putin, just wait and see, UNLESS NATO or some other country or organization inserts military power into the fray. Ukraine is losing the air war. Ukraine is beginning to look like Syria. Millions of people are leaving Ukraine. How much death and suffering must occur before the "good guys" come in to defeat the bully?
Without a cuckoo next to the nuke button I'd say "sure, let's go!". But even if the risk is indeed small (bully's survival instinct, China's reaction...), the consequences would be so devastating, with perhaps millions of military and civilian casualties, even without nukes. The World should really get away from Russian fossils (heaviest sanction), continue to insinuate true information into Russia, get XI to scold Putin and ...negotiate. Ukraine will lose some territory but the longer this goes the deeper the scars.
Gary, I will continue writing letters advocating support for Ukraine that does not involve NATO military intervention yet still gets us to a negotiated settlement, which I view as a “win.”
And I will continue speaking out for measured NATO military intervention. A negotiated settlement would be fine as long as Ukraine does not give up too much in the settlement.
Gary, Though probably too early for one to get his or her hopes up about anything, I understand negotiators on both sides recognize that the best kind of deals are the ones where no one is satisfied.
I disagree. You have it exactly backwards. Time is not on Ukraine's side. The current sanctions will be insufficient to induce Putin to retreat. You are seeing the results now and ultimately you will see Putin's forces overtake the capitol and install a puppet government, unless NATO intervenes quickly with direct military action, like imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Appeasement or a "slap on the wrist" does not work with narcissistic psychopaths.
Nice idea, but it won't work. Only proportional military action might work.
Gary, If you defined what you mean by “proportional military action,” perhaps I would agree with you.
If the enemy uses force of some destructive power X, then in response you should use force of similar but slightly more destructive power, X+1. If Putin uses air power (airplanes, helicopters, drones, and missiles) to bomb Ukraine, then Ukraine and NATO should use air power a little stronger against Putin's forces. If Putin uses one strategic nuclear weapon against Ukraine or a NATO nation, then the allies should use two strategic nuclear weapons. The idea which I was taught a long time ago during my career in corrections is to use the least amount of force to control the situation, achieve the goal, or repel the enemy, no more and no less.
Gary, I prefer my recommended strategy for getting to a diplomatic resolution. First, I believe it could work and, second, it doesn’t risk an escalating nuclear exchange.
Barbara, your recommended strategy is not working, and I don't think it will. It's just a matter of time when Putin will defeat the Ukranian forces, get rid of the Zelensky government, and install his own puppet government. Before a diplomatic resolution would work, Putin needs to be punished for his invasion by the proportional military response I have described. Then, you might have a chance of getting him to the negotiation table, but if things continue as they are he will take over Ukraine in less than 60 days.
Gary, My understanding is that Ukraine is prevailing upon Western leadership for a stronger NATO response. I hear Ukrainians daily begging Western democracies to step up and provide Ukraine with all needed air defense support systems to protect the skies from Russian bombs and provide Ukrainians with safe places. Ukrainians emphatically are dismayed by our reticence, asserting that if Putin wanted to attack a NATO country, he would invent a pretext for doing so. Meanwhile, they are convinced they can win this war if provided with the needed weaponry.
Putin is bombing an army base in Ukraine only 12 miles away from Poland. It's possible that he will invade NATO countries within 60 days at this rate. If and when that happens, the US. is treaty bound to get involved.
Gary W ; Meanwhile Putin is under sanctions. more than he expected and Russian people are against this war, as is the whole world. If we bomb Russian jets, it's Nuclear holocaust. the proportional response you have described is unworkable in this situation.
I don't know what's meant by "proportional military action," perhaps Putin was watching CNN the night in 2001, learning something and gaging America's response to "shock and awe" in Irag as the sky lit up with deadly fire works.
CNN is doing excellent reporting and is planning the next hero award show sponsored by Big Pharma the healing industry for everything we tell you you should be worried about.
I was always flabbergasted that Western powers tried desperately to appease Hitler, that they didn’t take him out swiftly and decisively when they “could have”. Now I understand how easy it is to say yet so difficult to do.
Welcome to reality, my friend.
Yes, but if NATO ever did decide to strike, it should be done en masse, as hard and swiftly as possible. Take out the leaders *first*.
There is no question in my mind but that yes, any strike against Putin should absolutely be done en masse. NO NATO country, or ANY country, should act alone as a lone wolf. That would most likely end in disaster.
On paper that sounds good. In reality, it takes time to mobilize that kind of strike-force. It's impossible for any military formation to strike from a standing stop, and Putin will easily see any kind of mobilization, or other group movement, by yesterday. At the first sign of that kind of mobilization, Putin would likely strike just as you recommend, at a military force that is >most vulnerable< to attack - while changing from stand-by to full mobilization. (Clearly, the Russian army is already mobilized, no matter how allegedly inept.)
You're right, of course, but then I think of D-day. An en masse strike that was planned for *years* in secret, and the enemy did not know it was coming. My father was in the 704th anti-tank battalion, and they did all of their training here in the States until it was time for the attack. They shipped out just as the beaches were being stormed, and were there as the fresh, second wave, ready to move inland and carry out the Bulge. It was a plan that worked. So was a SEAL strike on Osama. That would be more what I would have in mind for Putin.
Yes, that is what I have thought, if it's possible.
Let me draw your attention to the word *years.* In speaking of time-frames today, your talking about windows of opportunity of minutes, or less. On the other hand, in WWI the Germans - already mobilized - declared war on and struck Russia the moment Nicholas announced he was about to mobilize.
On the other hand, prior to D Day, the surveillance technology available to >anyone< was stone-age compared to today's.
Let me hasten to add, Bin Laden's intelligence resources were/are not even in the same league as the Russians'. It's almost like comparing apples to apple seeds.
Yes, and I hope to goodness our intelligence knows how much of the Russian military is not in that state (or if it is, and where)....it was clear that they were massing and mobilizing on Ukraine's border for quite some time. We did know it was coming, but hoped against hope that Putin would listen to reason.
Yep. Very, very sad.