Higher gas prices seem an easy choice when weighed against letting Russia take over much of Eastern Europe. We can provide subsidies to low income families. Much less costly to USA.
Considering how Republicans have >always< been in favor of dropping income tax and moving exclusively to consumption tax - and probably still are, but lyin' 'bout it - it seems >mightily< disingenuous for a Republican denouncing the kind of regressive consumption tax they'd otherwise propose and support. Y've got'ta greatly admire your assemblywoman's unmitigated gall, though!
You haven't been listening. They want NO government FOR THEMSELVES - no Income Taxes FOR THEMSELVES, but plenty of government and taxes for those of us who are beneath them on the economic ladder. Hey, somebody has to pay for this stuff, and they don't want it to be them.
Our Florida governor is already planning to cancel gas taxes for 5 months (just before the election) but he plans to replacer the lost money from the government funds planned to help the transportation sector. Have you noticed that he would celebrate reducing taxes (for the election) then replace them with money scheduled for other programs.
Thank you for your typically thoughtful comments. This is a painful discussion to have because there are no good or easy solutions.
Putin is escalating his attack on Ukraine, now reportedly using vacuum bombs on civilians, which are barred by the Geneva Convention. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in real time before our eyes.
Russian gas and oil now come soaked in blood. I do not believe it any longer morally justifiable for the West to purchase them. I agree with Ken and Keith on this.
To be sure, cutting off Russian gas and oil will result in substantially higher energy prices in the US and Europe, at a time when inflation is already soaring. Although we are not prepared to sacrifice the lives of Americans, we should be willing to sacrifice our pocketbooks. This is the minimum we should be willing to endure. (We should protect lower-income Americans from the worst economic consequences by enlarging subsidies for heating oil and gas at the pump, for example).
One ancillary benefit could be speeding up our conversion to renewable energy. Germany – which is highly dependent on Russian natural gas – has committed itself to 100 percent renewables by 2030, just 8 years from now. We must do the same. It is no longer “green energy” versus Big Oil and Big Coal. American security has now converged with the necessity of slowing and reversing climate change.
But what if Putin amasses tanks and troops along the borders of a NATO country? I think our best hope at the moment is that fierce financial pressure — including a ban on Russian oil and gas exports — convinces Russian oligarchs and generals that Putin must be deposed.
I've read/heard many times over the last few days that "a humanitarian crisis is evolving," and that Putin "may have" used weapons banned by the Geneva Convention.
When does "is evolving" translate to "has evolved?" When will there be proof that Putin used carpet bombs and vacuum bombs?
What is the next step for enforcing such violations? Who initiates the protocol and how? Who goes in and arrests Putin?
Pardon my naivete, but why have bans and Conventions if no one will enforce them?
Any attack on civilians is a war crime as defined in the Geneva Convention. The ICC has accepted requests from 32 nations to begin war crime proceedings.
"As a practical matter, what should we be prepared to sacrifice to stop Putin’s aggression?"
As much as we would sacrifice by not stopping Putin's aggression.
Fiona Hill, a renowned expert on Russia, made it clear in a recent Politico article that Putin's territorial ambitions go far beyond Ukraine and that he is prepared to use any means to achieve his ends. We are not prepared to directly confront Putin militarily; that could escalate into a nuclear conflict. The only real leverage we have over Putin is economic, but he has us "over a ($100) barrel" because of the world economy's dependence on Russia's fossil fuel exports. One positive development is that Europe appears to be coming to a clear recognition that sustainable energy is not just about climate and jobs; it is a fundamental matter of national security. This issue is discussed in several recent articles:
"A shift to clean energy would halt Russia's petro-thuggery and more" (The Hill, Feb 28)
"Germany fast-tracks shift to 100 pct renewables as EU energy crisis deepens" (RenewEconomy, March 1)
"Why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a game changer for European energy" (RenewEconomy, March 2)
In the short term we're probably going to have to endure significant economic hardship but hopefully we will emerge from this crisis with a stronger and more resilient economy. As Winston Churchill said, "Never let a good crisis go to waste."
Commitment to sustainable energy seems unlikely as long as The U.S. and other countries choose to be governed by big oil and gas. President Biden refused to champion this course in his State of The Union message. Just a couple of days after the dire state of our planet was described he barely mentioned the clean alternative for a response to both this report and Russia’s thuggery.
You appear to avoid Reich's pressing question. Are you prepared to die is actually what he's asking. It will take time to be free of fossil fuel. In the meantime, Putin appears willing to die. He's not afraid of raising the stakes.
If Tactical nuclear weapons were only used on the battlefield, in Ukraine, Belarus or Russia, by Russians, it would be like all those above ground tests we did back in the 1950s. NATO would need to think twice about using any since none of these countries are NATO countries.
Putin is escalating his attack on Ukraine, reportedly using vacuum bombs on civilians, which are barred by the Geneva Convention. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in real time before our eyes.
What can we do? The economic sanctions already imposed are insufficient. I agree with Keith and Ken: We should block exports of Russian gas and oil. I do not believe it any longer morally justifiable for the West to purchase them.
To be sure, cutting off Russian gas and oil will result in substantially higher energy prices in the US and Europe, at a time when inflation is already soaring. But if we are not prepared to sacrifice the lives of Americans to contain Putin, we should at at least be prepared to sacrifice our pocketbooks. (We should protect lower-income Americans from dire consequences - expanding heating assistance, for example.)
One ancillary benefit from stopping Russian gas and oil exports could be the speeding of our conversion to renewable energy. Germany – which is highly dependent on Russian natural gas – has committed itself to 100 percent renewables in eight years. This crisis offers an opportunity for America to do the same - Regardless of senate Republicans and Joe Manchin.
Yes, prices are soaring. I just don't believe it's all "inflation"....there's some percentage of it that is price-gouging by corporations that think they are too big to lose customers. One thing we could do is call them out, and boycott them, until they bring their prices back into line. That doesn't help Ukraine directly, but it might give us more pennies to put toward the gas/oil that we will not be buying from Russia.
If inflation is "soaring" at 7.5%, how will you describe inflation if (god forbid) it climbs to 10% or higher? "Incredible"? "Insane"? "Beyond description"? "Megadeath"?
Maybe we should just describe inflation as what it is, in this case 7.5%, and leave out the fearmongering descriptors, especially because some price-gouging is occurring.
To hell with sacrificing a damn thing, hoping to appease a madman - let's send a special task force of SEALS to wherever coward Putin is hiding and use Putin as target practice. Or how about providing free transport to Russia for all of those hunters who love destroying the wolves and other wildlife in America and let them take out their aggression on Putin because he is worse than a rabid animal. But don't talk to me about making sacrifices that won't mean diddly-squat in the final analysis. Putin must be ELIIMINATED. Period.
We taxpayers support the budget of the Department of State and its military wing, the CIA, which has a history of overthrowing governments that “we” don’t like. Surely those clever fellows, supported by our tax dollars, can devise an effective scheme for a palace coup in Russia. No muss, no fuss, no dirty dishes.
Preachin' to the choir with me, moi droog! I'd kind'a like to see them pull of encouraging the enlisted ranks to start shooting their officers, as well - like they did in "the olden days!"
One need only look at what the Ukrainians are willing to sacrifice to recognize that no sacrifice, barring the risk of a nuclear exchange, is too great to stop Putin’s aggression. Please note, because I don’t know what punishments, possibly cyber, could be inflicted, I take very seriously the hardships I am willing to endure to insure Ukraine remains democratic and free. I also would note I’m no hero, but simply one who fears a substantially greater cost further down the road than the price we might need to pay now to quash Putin’s unhinged ambition to recreate the Soviet empire.
Frank Gilbert ; They may, if Fox shows some footage of the carnage in Ukraine, with dying or dead children! Blood, grieving doctors and mothers and all!
There has been cyber attack on Russia already. And the money freeze is creating a mess. Oligarch will get tired if that fast! It would be great to have his own people take him out.
I completely agree with you,Ruthie. We need to focus on helping people who can't afford. I met an overworked high school English teacher last week, who detested Trump. But shhe said the truth was during his term gas prices stayed low, and it deeply affected her life. We need to get resources to the overworked, voting population.
We should be prepared to sacrifice our lives. He’s bluffing and we need to call it at any and all costs. If he isn’t bluffing then just like the soldier on the battlefield be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is the time for true leadership. Weakness is not an option. Stop him now or spill more blood later. He’s counting on fear.
Putin needs to be handled very carefully. He's like a five-year-old with a hand grenade: He doesn't really understand what he's doing, because if he did, he would never have picked up the hand grenade. We need to guarantee -- somehow -- that leaders are rational, ethical, and psychologically balanced, i.e., sane. (Granted, it's a huge problem: Even in America, where we could easily enact such a program, we nonetheless elect sociopaths. Tens of millions of Americans are susceptible to their well-crafted, highly effective propaganda.)
To answer this question as a practical matter, really, would require knowing what sacrifices would be instrumental to stopping Putin how.
Giving up chocolate, for instance, a typical Lenten discipline, wouldn't do anything I can think of, to halt Putin.
I definitely think all USians should sacrifice putting electoral wins, revenge politics, and point-scoring toward stopping Putin in the short run and to prevent the burgeoning of dictators in the future.
I'm certainly in favor of the public accepting higher gas prices as a byproduct of blocking Russian oil and gas income. And for matter as a means of discouraging the oil and gas consumption that have been so instrumental in global warming, and as an incentive for the US to invest in public transportation infrastructure, even though that would displease our own energy and automobile oligarchs.
In fact, I think that our oligarchs-- the owners and leaders of our large and powerful corporations-- should undertake some sacrifice. Not only to stop Putin's march on Europe, however they might aid that effort (more than I can, for sure)-- but to invest in the environment, labor, and infrastructure of the United States and of the other nations where they do business.
(Insert sidebar story on Elon Musk opposing paying taxes as Awfully Unjust to Him, and graciously accepting kudos for providing internet access to Ukraine.)
Putin seems to be operating in a way that's not so easy to reckon up on commonplace spreadsheets, and may be building himself a tomb-throne of skulls by taking down Europe, or trying to. What's most likely to stop him, it seems to me, is how own people, and sanctions and information help to motivate them.
But for the longer run, to prevent demagogic figures from gaining the support that empowers them, we need nations full of people who aren't desperate. And that requires taxing and investing in infrastructure that includes social supports. We need to beat the habit of looking to Noble Rich Guys-- corporate oligarchs-- to Do the Good Things. Sound policy cannot rest on the whims of individuals.
.My answer is the same as for Trump and the Democrats. Some of it comes from shrink school: Despite the "good guys" wanting to play fair, severe mentally illness doesn't operate by the rule book or logic. Sanity can understand sanction. Response can be predicted. Insanity's perception and reaction can't be predicted. Shrink school lesson: if mental illness is assessed to be dangerous, believe it and act to protect.
Even among the supposedly sane, if someone murders, laws say confine or kill the murderer. Do they apply only to the "little guy"? Not to a wealthy dictator ordering mass slaughter?
We do have penalty for war crimes, but only after we standby and watch them happen. Do police standby and watch a little guy kill for weeks or years before they say, "Hey, ya shouldn't have done that."? No, right away, they take out the shooter.
A shrink school discussion sticks with me, about responsibility for failing to identify and protect society from a mentally ill individual who later takes a life. Do aurhorities who failed to send in a sniper to take out early Hitler bear any responsibility for the ensuing Holocaust? If democracy at home is murdered, will leaders share fault for failing to stop the shooter(s)? Or do wealthy and powerful killers get passes to continue murder (heroically called "war") while citizen shooters get a bullet on the spot, first try?
Are we naive, letting murder continue while politely waiting, sanctioning, expecting a mad man killer to play by our rules of reason, or are Putin's war casualties an extreme example of wealth and power privilege, or...wth, why are we making speaches, reading news, and posting opinions while Rome is burning?
Mo, I share your outrage - and I understand what you are saying about Putin's insanity. (I went to "shrink school" too.) My fear is that Putin will opt for the nuclear option with or without our military intervention - especially when he feels backed into a corner financially and politically.
Agree. Another reason not to let him make that choice? He's been adept at stopping individuals who oppose him. Are we justified in using his strategies on him, or would that make us like him to the point where it's more ethical to let his murdering continue? Or aren't we as skillful as he is at targeting an individual? Lots of questions for philosophy class. Unfortunately, it's reality.
It would be interesting if we could do fMRI studies of psychopathic individuals with the enormous powers of destruction that Putin has within his orbit. There has to be some identifiable structural issues in the amygdala, right hippocampus (prolonged resentment) and prefrontal cortex. Of course these creatures would not opt for such diagnostic discourse. And how would we treat the condition if it could be identified? Putin has discarded his humanity, not unlike Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. Can these characteristics be diagnosed in earlier life to prevent these monstruous cataclysms in future decades?
A concern of mine, in view of recent reports concerning Putin's mental stability. How much is fact and how much is propaganda fiction? What are the consequences of making a paranoid fearful, given that paranoia of NATO at his border is alleged to have prompted his order to invade?
I'm really old. I lived through the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. My wife and I sat in gas lines our car for many hours on Saturdays just to get a few gallons of rationed gas, barely enough to get us to and from the train station for the coming week.The cause then, as now, was Oil. The price of oil per barrel first doubled, then quadrupled. The cause then was war in the Middle East between Israel, which the United States supported, and Arab nations.
I wonder if my fellow citizens today are up for level of sacrifice? There is certainly a lack of common purpose now that was present then. Today it is all about ME, my rights, my appetites. We have been pumped full of that attitude by politicians of course but also by commercial advertising: 'It's all about YOU, dear customer, YOU deserve this, You NEED this'. Kind of an induced narcissism. Maybe this crisis will reveal what we are really made of.
Bill, not one US serviceman went to support Israel. We supplied Israel with ammunition, as we are doing today in Ukraine. Israel fought a war with the Middle East.
The difference between Israel's and Ukraine's war is that Israel had made it a point to have a strong military. A military that received help from the US. They had tanks and a fairly strong modern air force.
We should be prepared to give up fear: true courage is to afford empathy and compassion - so we should put a geopolitical posture second and the lives of innocent civilians first. Recognizing the mistake of not one but two illegal foreign wars spanning twenty years would allow for starting from a very simple premise: no amount of violence will bring peace - and even subduing a population is not the same thing as affording the peace needed for a civil society.
(Our moral standing is arguably insufficient to effect the needed sacrifice alone; the nations of the world need to convey that message together.)
Odd that you should mention that. Have you noticed that all the time the Q-publicans have been posturing against a "fear campaign" concerning the covid, they're campaign ads tell us about how lawlessness is rampant, drug addiction is everywhere, we are being invaded by immigrant hoards at the border, society is collapsing, and without borders we don't have a country? Of course, the local news in this country doesn't maintain viewership by reporting only good news. Have you noticed any of that ‽ For my part, fear campaigns are part and parcel of our current political environment - that is to say - business as usual. >Nobody< knows fear - these days - until they hear the first bee-like buzzing of a high-velocity projectile whiz closely past their ear. As a hint, it begins with a kind of stunned disbelief!
Americans do NOT need to feel the pain. We need wind and solar. HOWEVER, until we are there with wind and solar we need to continue with oil. America is producing more electric cars. We are on the right road. President Biden needs to restore America’s energy dominance. He needs to get the boot off the neck of American energy producers. Climate problems aren’t going away during the Ukraine/Russia war. We need to find a balance going from oil to wind and solar. What the USA is doing right now buying Russian oil is a disgrace. In essence our government is giving Putin money to kill innocent people. The U.S. produced more petroleum than it consumed in 2020. What happened since 2020? As Americans we can't keep going back and forth like a yo-you every time a new administration takes over. We take 1 step forward then go back 2 steps. Instead of "playing politics" how about doing what is right for our country. That way good hard working Americans don't need to "feel the pain". Pray for Ukraine. God Bless America. Thank you Robert Reich for this forum and your passion to help us all learn and grow.
A better solution than electric cars is credible mass transportation - like electric railroads, commuter trains, & local conveyances, such as subways even solar busses, and not this self-driving crap!
Clearly, you're not old enough to remember the term "whistle stop." At one time, >all< rural communities were located relatively close to train stations, as well. I don't think anyone has a clear idea of how extensive passenger train systems were back then, these days. Most of the track has been removed - although many of the throughway rights have been retained by the remaining rail lines. Nevertheless, electric, or even solar powered tram services from such communities to such train stations are completely credible. Besides, have you ever seen some of farm equipment being used in those rural communities, these days? A few weeks ago, I was driving on a rural state route in OH and passed one coming the other way. I would have been fully able pass it by straight at it, left of center, and then underneath it, without damaging either it or myself!
The keyword to me is "credible". Yes, people built near railroads and rivers and canals for transportation in the "old days", but the advent of the car saw them spread out more. I live at the end of a one mile long gravel road. so I am not sure that mass transit from my house would be a "credible" option, but I am open to ideas.
It is important to consider people in situation like yours. We should have free mini shuttle services for people who can't easily get to public transportation points. Where there's a will there's a way!
Good idea which I hadn't considered. It would be a big help for those who can't drive due to cost or disability. May not work everywhere in my rural county, though.
You don't think a regular, daily tram service serving the local rail station, passing no farther away than a bicycle-ride from anywhere is credible? I'll buy into "unimaginable."
Your suggestion may work in some rural areas, but not in all areas. To be clear, I agree with you that "credible" mass transportation should be actively pursued in our country where it makes sense and can be done at a reasonable cost. I just don't believe "imagine" that it can be done everywhere.
Oh my goodness, Cecelia, you’re so right about this yoyoing. How can civilization get anywhere with this constant change of direction? I don’t know the answer in the short term but a common set of values would fix that. It’s getting from A to B that’s the issue.
I wonder: if Americans can't freely and unreservedly unite behind vaccinations and mask wearing in order to keep the most vulnerable among us from dying a horrible death, how is it possible to think that we could somehow unite to sacrifice anything in order to help anyone else in the world? Covid has proved to me that we are incapable of rising above our own selfish needs in order to do right as a nation. The proof? Well over a million of our own people dead or dying.
You make a profound point here. As a nation, we no longer have a common bond — the state of the union is very shaky.
The governor of Iowa made that clear in her political commercial following Biden’s speech last night. The “unity” of the parties around support for Ukraine that so many pundits on so many channels praised is hollow — no republican can say it without attaching a claim that Biden is responsible for the invasion. As a nation, we can’t deal with real, core, problems like climate change and COVID. We no longer accept core principles like a coomon good, the right to vote, the acceptance of election results, or the sanctity of an oath.
As a country in disarray, any response to the lawless actions of a
Madman will be limited by selfishness. We have lost our reason and will respond in the most primitive and mindless way available: the fact that we have the weapons to impersonally kill is evidence that we, as individuals, have very little choice as to what we will sacrifice.
The counter-message should focus on Biden's diplomacy in repairing NATO so there would actually be credible opposition to what Putin clearly had in mind in the first place - restoring the Russian - Soviet - Empire. He wants to Make Russia Great Again! Get that message out. Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil!
Another counter-message the Dems should strenuously and continually make is how ol' Tweety and his right-wing toadies like C*ck-breath Carlson, along with all the wankers who've bought into they're "party line," have consistently aided and comforted, if not actively encouraged Putin. Not all Republicans are traitors - only the ones the listen to and elect!
Pay more for gas for a while. The people of Ukraine are enduring more than a higher gas price
Higher gas prices seem an easy choice when weighed against letting Russia take over much of Eastern Europe. We can provide subsidies to low income families. Much less costly to USA.
Why aren't all those Tea Party-type Q-publicans supportive of dropping the regressive consumption-based gas taxes? Huh?
I just got an email from my Republican assemblywoman blaming California gas taxes for the higher prices. Here we go.
Considering how Republicans have >always< been in favor of dropping income tax and moving exclusively to consumption tax - and probably still are, but lyin' 'bout it - it seems >mightily< disingenuous for a Republican denouncing the kind of regressive consumption tax they'd otherwise propose and support. Y've got'ta greatly admire your assemblywoman's unmitigated gall, though!
Gosh, I thought they were in favor of no taxes at all. Isn’t no government what they want?
You haven't been listening. They want NO government FOR THEMSELVES - no Income Taxes FOR THEMSELVES, but plenty of government and taxes for those of us who are beneath them on the economic ladder. Hey, somebody has to pay for this stuff, and they don't want it to be them.
Here's where it gets a little vague. No government is anarchy - not fascism! We have some Orwellian double-speak goin' on here!
Sadly, mainstream news will echo the Repugs.
We’re already hearing it. Agree
Our Florida governor is already planning to cancel gas taxes for 5 months (just before the election) but he plans to replacer the lost money from the government funds planned to help the transportation sector. Have you noticed that he would celebrate reducing taxes (for the election) then replace them with money scheduled for other programs.
Lee Lefaivre ; I wonder which other programs will lose?
whichever programs his donor(s) tell him. Especially if they have some regulatory power over the donor(s).
Spend more time registering Democrats to overcome those who pledge allegiance to the Kremlin. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Registering people is OK, but what is really needed is getting those who are already registered out to vote!
The predicate to voting is registration. We can do something about registration.
Maybe it's a blessing in disguise: Higher oil prices may (finally!) move US toward renewable energy.
C'mon Elon, more (and much cheaper!) electric cars!
Elon could put Ford to shame! Talk about 'A better Idea!).
Thank you for your typically thoughtful comments. This is a painful discussion to have because there are no good or easy solutions.
Putin is escalating his attack on Ukraine, now reportedly using vacuum bombs on civilians, which are barred by the Geneva Convention. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in real time before our eyes.
Russian gas and oil now come soaked in blood. I do not believe it any longer morally justifiable for the West to purchase them. I agree with Ken and Keith on this.
To be sure, cutting off Russian gas and oil will result in substantially higher energy prices in the US and Europe, at a time when inflation is already soaring. Although we are not prepared to sacrifice the lives of Americans, we should be willing to sacrifice our pocketbooks. This is the minimum we should be willing to endure. (We should protect lower-income Americans from the worst economic consequences by enlarging subsidies for heating oil and gas at the pump, for example).
One ancillary benefit could be speeding up our conversion to renewable energy. Germany – which is highly dependent on Russian natural gas – has committed itself to 100 percent renewables by 2030, just 8 years from now. We must do the same. It is no longer “green energy” versus Big Oil and Big Coal. American security has now converged with the necessity of slowing and reversing climate change.
But what if Putin amasses tanks and troops along the borders of a NATO country? I think our best hope at the moment is that fierce financial pressure — including a ban on Russian oil and gas exports — convinces Russian oligarchs and generals that Putin must be deposed.
I've read/heard many times over the last few days that "a humanitarian crisis is evolving," and that Putin "may have" used weapons banned by the Geneva Convention.
When does "is evolving" translate to "has evolved?" When will there be proof that Putin used carpet bombs and vacuum bombs?
What is the next step for enforcing such violations? Who initiates the protocol and how? Who goes in and arrests Putin?
Pardon my naivete, but why have bans and Conventions if no one will enforce them?
Sounds like Republicans on Trump and his thugs.
Any attack on civilians is a war crime as defined in the Geneva Convention. The ICC has accepted requests from 32 nations to begin war crime proceedings.
Never heard them called vacuum bombs. They were always called fuel air bombs in my day. They were used a lot in Viet Nam to clear landing zones.
"As a practical matter, what should we be prepared to sacrifice to stop Putin’s aggression?"
As much as we would sacrifice by not stopping Putin's aggression.
Fiona Hill, a renowned expert on Russia, made it clear in a recent Politico article that Putin's territorial ambitions go far beyond Ukraine and that he is prepared to use any means to achieve his ends. We are not prepared to directly confront Putin militarily; that could escalate into a nuclear conflict. The only real leverage we have over Putin is economic, but he has us "over a ($100) barrel" because of the world economy's dependence on Russia's fossil fuel exports. One positive development is that Europe appears to be coming to a clear recognition that sustainable energy is not just about climate and jobs; it is a fundamental matter of national security. This issue is discussed in several recent articles:
"A shift to clean energy would halt Russia's petro-thuggery and more" (The Hill, Feb 28)
"Germany fast-tracks shift to 100 pct renewables as EU energy crisis deepens" (RenewEconomy, March 1)
"Why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a game changer for European energy" (RenewEconomy, March 2)
In the short term we're probably going to have to endure significant economic hardship but hopefully we will emerge from this crisis with a stronger and more resilient economy. As Winston Churchill said, "Never let a good crisis go to waste."
Commitment to sustainable energy seems unlikely as long as The U.S. and other countries choose to be governed by big oil and gas. President Biden refused to champion this course in his State of The Union message. Just a couple of days after the dire state of our planet was described he barely mentioned the clean alternative for a response to both this report and Russia’s thuggery.
Aw, he just does not want to be shot!
cited links:
https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/596066-a-shift-to-clean-energy-would-halt-russias-petro-thuggery-and-more
https://reneweconomy.com.au/germany-fast-tracks-shift-to-100-pct-renewables-as-eu-energy-crisis-deepens/
https://reneweconomy.com.au/why-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-is-a-game-changer-for-european-energy/
You appear to avoid Reich's pressing question. Are you prepared to die is actually what he's asking. It will take time to be free of fossil fuel. In the meantime, Putin appears willing to die. He's not afraid of raising the stakes.
He is willing for millions of others to die.
That's more like it. But, as one commentator asks, Who does he love? Does he care about anyone or anything with real passion?
He is pathological. You can't use normal psychology.
I'm not trained in psychology (psych 101 does not count), but that sounds right. Not normal.
Thanks for the correction. Do you think he thinks he has an advantage in a nuclear confrontation?
No one has any advantage in that scenario. It is truly terrifying.
He has a death wish, or is incapable, when pathological, to see where this can get him.
If Tactical nuclear weapons were only used on the battlefield, in Ukraine, Belarus or Russia, by Russians, it would be like all those above ground tests we did back in the 1950s. NATO would need to think twice about using any since none of these countries are NATO countries.
Very good point. That did not occur to me, Edward.
I've read a few times that Putin is ill, maybe he is more willing to die than we think?
Putin doesn't look well. Perhaps he knows he's going to die in the shorter term, and wants this to be his legacy...
Putin is escalating his attack on Ukraine, reportedly using vacuum bombs on civilians, which are barred by the Geneva Convention. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in real time before our eyes.
What can we do? The economic sanctions already imposed are insufficient. I agree with Keith and Ken: We should block exports of Russian gas and oil. I do not believe it any longer morally justifiable for the West to purchase them.
To be sure, cutting off Russian gas and oil will result in substantially higher energy prices in the US and Europe, at a time when inflation is already soaring. But if we are not prepared to sacrifice the lives of Americans to contain Putin, we should at at least be prepared to sacrifice our pocketbooks. (We should protect lower-income Americans from dire consequences - expanding heating assistance, for example.)
One ancillary benefit from stopping Russian gas and oil exports could be the speeding of our conversion to renewable energy. Germany – which is highly dependent on Russian natural gas – has committed itself to 100 percent renewables in eight years. This crisis offers an opportunity for America to do the same - Regardless of senate Republicans and Joe Manchin.
Yes, prices are soaring. I just don't believe it's all "inflation"....there's some percentage of it that is price-gouging by corporations that think they are too big to lose customers. One thing we could do is call them out, and boycott them, until they bring their prices back into line. That doesn't help Ukraine directly, but it might give us more pennies to put toward the gas/oil that we will not be buying from Russia.
If inflation is "soaring" at 7.5%, how will you describe inflation if (god forbid) it climbs to 10% or higher? "Incredible"? "Insane"? "Beyond description"? "Megadeath"?
Maybe we should just describe inflation as what it is, in this case 7.5%, and leave out the fearmongering descriptors, especially because some price-gouging is occurring.
Yay! to get a commitment to renewables in a hurry despite senate Repugs and their criminal filibustering ways!
To hell with sacrificing a damn thing, hoping to appease a madman - let's send a special task force of SEALS to wherever coward Putin is hiding and use Putin as target practice. Or how about providing free transport to Russia for all of those hunters who love destroying the wolves and other wildlife in America and let them take out their aggression on Putin because he is worse than a rabid animal. But don't talk to me about making sacrifices that won't mean diddly-squat in the final analysis. Putin must be ELIIMINATED. Period.
Use the same Russian nerve agent he used to eliminate his political opponents!
Tim Baldwin ; might be fitting!
Poisoned underwear? I heard someone say that on Ari Melber's show last night. It was used on Mr. Navalny, an opponent of Putin who is held in jail.
Another one will take his place. They would all need to be taken out, which I would be in favor of.
Sad but probably true.
Because they're busy watching & reading Sci-Fi time-travel yarns about going back in time and assassinating Hitler!
We taxpayers support the budget of the Department of State and its military wing, the CIA, which has a history of overthrowing governments that “we” don’t like. Surely those clever fellows, supported by our tax dollars, can devise an effective scheme for a palace coup in Russia. No muss, no fuss, no dirty dishes.
Preachin' to the choir with me, moi droog! I'd kind'a like to see them pull of encouraging the enlisted ranks to start shooting their officers, as well - like they did in "the olden days!"
One need only look at what the Ukrainians are willing to sacrifice to recognize that no sacrifice, barring the risk of a nuclear exchange, is too great to stop Putin’s aggression. Please note, because I don’t know what punishments, possibly cyber, could be inflicted, I take very seriously the hardships I am willing to endure to insure Ukraine remains democratic and free. I also would note I’m no hero, but simply one who fears a substantially greater cost further down the road than the price we might need to pay now to quash Putin’s unhinged ambition to recreate the Soviet empire.
I see this working only if conservatives line up behind the sacrifice.
Frank, Admittedly, I fear many Republicans would favor Putin succeeding just to see Biden fail.
Ignorance is bliss.
They may well think and believe that, but talk to them after it happens when the chickens come home to roost.
Frank Gilbert ; They may, if Fox shows some footage of the carnage in Ukraine, with dying or dead children! Blood, grieving doctors and mothers and all!
Or if they get out of their 'safe, tRump approved bubble, and look at other media sources to see un filtered news).
they won't
There has been cyber attack on Russia already. And the money freeze is creating a mess. Oligarch will get tired if that fast! It would be great to have his own people take him out.
Freedom isn't free. So if I have to pay an extra $100 bucks a month for gas.. money well spent.
Okay, if we help out those who can’t afford the increase. And if we overall, greatly reduce our reliance on oil for both security and enviro reasons.
I completely agree with you,Ruthie. We need to focus on helping people who can't afford. I met an overworked high school English teacher last week, who detested Trump. But shhe said the truth was during his term gas prices stayed low, and it deeply affected her life. We need to get resources to the overworked, voting population.
Totally agree with Ruthie’s statement.
Drop the regressive, consumption-based gasoline taxes, for a start.
Great if you can afford it.
We must stop depending on gas and oil! Go sustainable asap!
Get rid of all nuclear weapons in all countries asap!
Find someone in Putins entourage who is reasonable and encourage them to take care of the problem, (Putin), asap!
We should be prepared to sacrifice our lives. He’s bluffing and we need to call it at any and all costs. If he isn’t bluffing then just like the soldier on the battlefield be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is the time for true leadership. Weakness is not an option. Stop him now or spill more blood later. He’s counting on fear.
Putin needs to be handled very carefully. He's like a five-year-old with a hand grenade: He doesn't really understand what he's doing, because if he did, he would never have picked up the hand grenade. We need to guarantee -- somehow -- that leaders are rational, ethical, and psychologically balanced, i.e., sane. (Granted, it's a huge problem: Even in America, where we could easily enact such a program, we nonetheless elect sociopaths. Tens of millions of Americans are susceptible to their well-crafted, highly effective propaganda.)
To answer this question as a practical matter, really, would require knowing what sacrifices would be instrumental to stopping Putin how.
Giving up chocolate, for instance, a typical Lenten discipline, wouldn't do anything I can think of, to halt Putin.
I definitely think all USians should sacrifice putting electoral wins, revenge politics, and point-scoring toward stopping Putin in the short run and to prevent the burgeoning of dictators in the future.
I'm certainly in favor of the public accepting higher gas prices as a byproduct of blocking Russian oil and gas income. And for matter as a means of discouraging the oil and gas consumption that have been so instrumental in global warming, and as an incentive for the US to invest in public transportation infrastructure, even though that would displease our own energy and automobile oligarchs.
In fact, I think that our oligarchs-- the owners and leaders of our large and powerful corporations-- should undertake some sacrifice. Not only to stop Putin's march on Europe, however they might aid that effort (more than I can, for sure)-- but to invest in the environment, labor, and infrastructure of the United States and of the other nations where they do business.
(Insert sidebar story on Elon Musk opposing paying taxes as Awfully Unjust to Him, and graciously accepting kudos for providing internet access to Ukraine.)
Putin seems to be operating in a way that's not so easy to reckon up on commonplace spreadsheets, and may be building himself a tomb-throne of skulls by taking down Europe, or trying to. What's most likely to stop him, it seems to me, is how own people, and sanctions and information help to motivate them.
But for the longer run, to prevent demagogic figures from gaining the support that empowers them, we need nations full of people who aren't desperate. And that requires taxing and investing in infrastructure that includes social supports. We need to beat the habit of looking to Noble Rich Guys-- corporate oligarchs-- to Do the Good Things. Sound policy cannot rest on the whims of individuals.
We took out osama bin Ladin, we can take out putin!
Eva Foreman Fight the propaganda with strong counter propaganda
Just images of the victims of Putin's attack on Ukraine should provide plenty of real images.
.My answer is the same as for Trump and the Democrats. Some of it comes from shrink school: Despite the "good guys" wanting to play fair, severe mentally illness doesn't operate by the rule book or logic. Sanity can understand sanction. Response can be predicted. Insanity's perception and reaction can't be predicted. Shrink school lesson: if mental illness is assessed to be dangerous, believe it and act to protect.
Even among the supposedly sane, if someone murders, laws say confine or kill the murderer. Do they apply only to the "little guy"? Not to a wealthy dictator ordering mass slaughter?
We do have penalty for war crimes, but only after we standby and watch them happen. Do police standby and watch a little guy kill for weeks or years before they say, "Hey, ya shouldn't have done that."? No, right away, they take out the shooter.
A shrink school discussion sticks with me, about responsibility for failing to identify and protect society from a mentally ill individual who later takes a life. Do aurhorities who failed to send in a sniper to take out early Hitler bear any responsibility for the ensuing Holocaust? If democracy at home is murdered, will leaders share fault for failing to stop the shooter(s)? Or do wealthy and powerful killers get passes to continue murder (heroically called "war") while citizen shooters get a bullet on the spot, first try?
Are we naive, letting murder continue while politely waiting, sanctioning, expecting a mad man killer to play by our rules of reason, or are Putin's war casualties an extreme example of wealth and power privilege, or...wth, why are we making speaches, reading news, and posting opinions while Rome is burning?
Mo, I share your outrage - and I understand what you are saying about Putin's insanity. (I went to "shrink school" too.) My fear is that Putin will opt for the nuclear option with or without our military intervention - especially when he feels backed into a corner financially and politically.
Like I said, is it >really< a good idea to make a - perhaps psychopathic - paranoid fearful?
Agree. Another reason not to let him make that choice? He's been adept at stopping individuals who oppose him. Are we justified in using his strategies on him, or would that make us like him to the point where it's more ethical to let his murdering continue? Or aren't we as skillful as he is at targeting an individual? Lots of questions for philosophy class. Unfortunately, it's reality.
It would be interesting if we could do fMRI studies of psychopathic individuals with the enormous powers of destruction that Putin has within his orbit. There has to be some identifiable structural issues in the amygdala, right hippocampus (prolonged resentment) and prefrontal cortex. Of course these creatures would not opt for such diagnostic discourse. And how would we treat the condition if it could be identified? Putin has discarded his humanity, not unlike Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. Can these characteristics be diagnosed in earlier life to prevent these monstruous cataclysms in future decades?
A concern of mine, in view of recent reports concerning Putin's mental stability. How much is fact and how much is propaganda fiction? What are the consequences of making a paranoid fearful, given that paranoia of NATO at his border is alleged to have prompted his order to invade?
I'm really old. I lived through the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. My wife and I sat in gas lines our car for many hours on Saturdays just to get a few gallons of rationed gas, barely enough to get us to and from the train station for the coming week.The cause then, as now, was Oil. The price of oil per barrel first doubled, then quadrupled. The cause then was war in the Middle East between Israel, which the United States supported, and Arab nations.
I wonder if my fellow citizens today are up for level of sacrifice? There is certainly a lack of common purpose now that was present then. Today it is all about ME, my rights, my appetites. We have been pumped full of that attitude by politicians of course but also by commercial advertising: 'It's all about YOU, dear customer, YOU deserve this, You NEED this'. Kind of an induced narcissism. Maybe this crisis will reveal what we are really made of.
I keep banging-on about dropping the regressive consumption taxes on gasoline.
I’m enjoying the consumption of Ukrainian vodka.
Bill, not one US serviceman went to support Israel. We supplied Israel with ammunition, as we are doing today in Ukraine. Israel fought a war with the Middle East.
Excellent point, ES!
Just keeping them honest DZK. I enjoy reading your informative posts.
The difference between Israel's and Ukraine's war is that Israel had made it a point to have a strong military. A military that received help from the US. They had tanks and a fairly strong modern air force.
We should be prepared to give up fear: true courage is to afford empathy and compassion - so we should put a geopolitical posture second and the lives of innocent civilians first. Recognizing the mistake of not one but two illegal foreign wars spanning twenty years would allow for starting from a very simple premise: no amount of violence will bring peace - and even subduing a population is not the same thing as affording the peace needed for a civil society.
(Our moral standing is arguably insufficient to effect the needed sacrifice alone; the nations of the world need to convey that message together.)
Odd that you should mention that. Have you noticed that all the time the Q-publicans have been posturing against a "fear campaign" concerning the covid, they're campaign ads tell us about how lawlessness is rampant, drug addiction is everywhere, we are being invaded by immigrant hoards at the border, society is collapsing, and without borders we don't have a country? Of course, the local news in this country doesn't maintain viewership by reporting only good news. Have you noticed any of that ‽ For my part, fear campaigns are part and parcel of our current political environment - that is to say - business as usual. >Nobody< knows fear - these days - until they hear the first bee-like buzzing of a high-velocity projectile whiz closely past their ear. As a hint, it begins with a kind of stunned disbelief!
Americans do NOT need to feel the pain. We need wind and solar. HOWEVER, until we are there with wind and solar we need to continue with oil. America is producing more electric cars. We are on the right road. President Biden needs to restore America’s energy dominance. He needs to get the boot off the neck of American energy producers. Climate problems aren’t going away during the Ukraine/Russia war. We need to find a balance going from oil to wind and solar. What the USA is doing right now buying Russian oil is a disgrace. In essence our government is giving Putin money to kill innocent people. The U.S. produced more petroleum than it consumed in 2020. What happened since 2020? As Americans we can't keep going back and forth like a yo-you every time a new administration takes over. We take 1 step forward then go back 2 steps. Instead of "playing politics" how about doing what is right for our country. That way good hard working Americans don't need to "feel the pain". Pray for Ukraine. God Bless America. Thank you Robert Reich for this forum and your passion to help us all learn and grow.
A better solution than electric cars is credible mass transportation - like electric railroads, commuter trains, & local conveyances, such as subways even solar busses, and not this self-driving crap!
Electric cars will still be needed for rural areas where mass transportation is not "credible".
Clearly, you're not old enough to remember the term "whistle stop." At one time, >all< rural communities were located relatively close to train stations, as well. I don't think anyone has a clear idea of how extensive passenger train systems were back then, these days. Most of the track has been removed - although many of the throughway rights have been retained by the remaining rail lines. Nevertheless, electric, or even solar powered tram services from such communities to such train stations are completely credible. Besides, have you ever seen some of farm equipment being used in those rural communities, these days? A few weeks ago, I was driving on a rural state route in OH and passed one coming the other way. I would have been fully able pass it by straight at it, left of center, and then underneath it, without damaging either it or myself!
The keyword to me is "credible". Yes, people built near railroads and rivers and canals for transportation in the "old days", but the advent of the car saw them spread out more. I live at the end of a one mile long gravel road. so I am not sure that mass transit from my house would be a "credible" option, but I am open to ideas.
It is important to consider people in situation like yours. We should have free mini shuttle services for people who can't easily get to public transportation points. Where there's a will there's a way!
Good idea which I hadn't considered. It would be a big help for those who can't drive due to cost or disability. May not work everywhere in my rural county, though.
You don't think a regular, daily tram service serving the local rail station, passing no farther away than a bicycle-ride from anywhere is credible? I'll buy into "unimaginable."
Your suggestion may work in some rural areas, but not in all areas. To be clear, I agree with you that "credible" mass transportation should be actively pursued in our country where it makes sense and can be done at a reasonable cost. I just don't believe "imagine" that it can be done everywhere.
DZK...great idea for the cities
Oh my goodness, Cecelia, you’re so right about this yoyoing. How can civilization get anywhere with this constant change of direction? I don’t know the answer in the short term but a common set of values would fix that. It’s getting from A to B that’s the issue.
I wonder: if Americans can't freely and unreservedly unite behind vaccinations and mask wearing in order to keep the most vulnerable among us from dying a horrible death, how is it possible to think that we could somehow unite to sacrifice anything in order to help anyone else in the world? Covid has proved to me that we are incapable of rising above our own selfish needs in order to do right as a nation. The proof? Well over a million of our own people dead or dying.
You make a profound point here. As a nation, we no longer have a common bond — the state of the union is very shaky.
The governor of Iowa made that clear in her political commercial following Biden’s speech last night. The “unity” of the parties around support for Ukraine that so many pundits on so many channels praised is hollow — no republican can say it without attaching a claim that Biden is responsible for the invasion. As a nation, we can’t deal with real, core, problems like climate change and COVID. We no longer accept core principles like a coomon good, the right to vote, the acceptance of election results, or the sanctity of an oath.
As a country in disarray, any response to the lawless actions of a
Madman will be limited by selfishness. We have lost our reason and will respond in the most primitive and mindless way available: the fact that we have the weapons to impersonally kill is evidence that we, as individuals, have very little choice as to what we will sacrifice.
The counter-message should focus on Biden's diplomacy in repairing NATO so there would actually be credible opposition to what Putin clearly had in mind in the first place - restoring the Russian - Soviet - Empire. He wants to Make Russia Great Again! Get that message out. Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil!
Another counter-message the Dems should strenuously and continually make is how ol' Tweety and his right-wing toadies like C*ck-breath Carlson, along with all the wankers who've bought into they're "party line," have consistently aided and comforted, if not actively encouraged Putin. Not all Republicans are traitors - only the ones the listen to and elect!
How, indeed.