If you listened to Putin's town crier Brandon it has always been a forgone conclusion. Unfortunately Brandon is terrible with dates; and reading tea leaves.
I dunno about all that. It's just been all over CNBC and Bloomberg that the whole thing is imminent, and apparently the only reason it hasn't happened already is because the Chinese would be really pissed about anything upstaging the Olympics.
I'm also frankly not sure what anybody expects Joe to do about it.
Do we really give a shit about Ukraine? Enough to send our boys?
My personal opinion is Putin realizes that any chance of reconstituting the Soviet Union in its 'heyday' falls heavily on Russia to keep countries from joining NATO, thereabouts. Also, Putin must realize he has awoken the 'beast' of NATO potential expansion east because he dared, threatens incursion and invasion. Now, Putin is stuck on the horns of dilemma: He has boxed himself into acting against the whole of Ukraine - to stop a self-fulfilling prophecy: NATO eastern expansion.
Just imagine what the last POTUS would be saying if this were his term. Something about genocide against Russians, Russia’s right to defend themselves, and there’s no evidence Russia is planning an invasion. “I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this, I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
When in doubt make shit up that never happened. Funny how Putin waited until Biden was in charge to pull this shit. That is reality whether you and the left like it or not.
190,000 troops surrounding Ukraine, enough intelligence to publicly announce an invasion is imminent by Biden himself, and listen to you. We should start calling you comrade.
Not only that, but as is clear in this seed’s comments, when the invasion does happen they will immediately make the claim that if Trump were POTUS Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine. It’s the result of reflexive sycophancy married to inherent hatred of Democrats.
There's no doubt there are a lot of Russian sympathizers on the US political right
"40% of Republicans say Russia is an ally or friendly, up from 22% in 2014"
" How the GOP became the party of Putin "
" Four years ago, I began writing about the growing sympathy for Russia among some American conservatives. Back then, the Putin fan club was limited to seemingly fringe figures like Pat Buchanan (“Is Vladimir Putin a paleoconservative?” he asked, answering in the affirmative), a bunch of cranks organized around the Ron Paul Institute and some anti-gay marriage bitter-enders so resentful at their domestic political loss they would ally themselves with an authoritarian regime that not so long ago they would have condemned for exporting “godless communism.”
" Today, these figures are no longer on the fringe of GOP politics. According to a Morning Consult-Politico poll from May, an astonishing 49 percent of Republicans consider Russia an ally. Favorable views of Putin – a career KGB officer who hates America – have nearly tripled among Republicans in the past two years, with 32 percent expressing a positive opinion .
Of course there are a lot of Russian sympathizers on the US political right, but you won't hear any admission of that from Republicans just like they won't admit how prevalent white supremacists, white nationalists and bigoted confederate wannabes are among their party.
What's "funny" about it? Strategic planning takes many variables into consideration. Let's hypothesize that Putin did not have his own country where it needed to be due to many factors including a world-wide pandemic or the "on-going" feud and division Trump was provoking with NATO allies. See how that works. We can not "funny" anything about dictator time-tables. And you might remember former President Trump was attempting to USE the Ukrainian president as a pawn in his nefarious scheme to get Biden out or depreciated as a candidate. It failed. Trump got impeached because of his actions. Trump was no fan of Ukraine.
We could just as easily see a scenario where Trump would not help Ukraine if he was president today.
Could be the politics of Olympic gold medaling. Mother Russia wants its children to 'go big' on the medal show. But that is a basic guess. Who knows what is going on in Putin's mind?
If you mean Putin senses that the needs of his nation relative to Ukraine are more strategic, than our going to war directly with another nuclear nation-then he got that part of the 'saber-rattling' right. Outcomes are predictable in that scenario. You might want to 'recalculate.' There are no absolutes or certainties or 'wimps' at this level of international intrigue!
And what would some conservatives be prepared to do different? NATO has a right to offer its 'value' anywhere it wants and to whom requests it if it wants. If President Putin wants to play this 'hand' for all its worth let him. Prepare yourself: There will be no winners.
Same goes for China. Tough rhetoric and violence between such megapowers will produce bad outcomes, period.
Best get what you can from deal-making and stand-down.
All on Russia's side of the border. Moving troops around quite nicely and making former Soviet border states, now NATO members, quake in their boots and scream for US troops (not NATO forces you notice). Why is that?
Brandon is doing an excellent job of ratcheting up the fear. Putin couldn't ask for a better patsy.
We should start calling you comrade.
So pointing out Brandon's incompetence that could start WWIII is the same as supporting Putin? In case you didn't notice, I am not for war with Russia- but the human fuck up machine in the Oval Office is ratcheting up the fear to the point one of our NATO allies might jump the gun and attack Russian forces while they still are in Russia.
I like the left a hell of a lot better when they were anti war.
What's "funny" about it? Strategic planning takes many variables into consideration.
The biggest one is having the most incompetent President ever in the Oval Office.
Let's hypothesize that Putin did not have his own country where it needed to be due to many factors including a world-wide pandemic or the "on-going" feud and division Trump was provoking with NATO allies. See how that works.
Oh goody, the "But Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!" card. First of all Trump forced our NATO allies to increase their defense funding to what it should be.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised President Donald Trump on Thursday for pushing countries in the alliance to boost their defense spending, an issue that has driven a wedge between Trump and Europe before. “Let me thank you for the leadership you show on the issue of defense spending because it is very important that we all contribute more to our shared security, and it is really having an impact because, as you said, allies are now spending more on defense,” Stoltenberg said while taking reporters’ questions after the leaders met at the White House. “All allies are increasing their defense budgets.”
Secondly, that divisiveness was working wonderfully when the Europeans were discussing forming their own combined military- instead of relying on the US. We should only get so lucky.
The European Union launched a new defense fund Wednesday designed to alleviate funding concerns put forth by President Donald Trump and bolster the region against perceived Russian aggression.
The initiative, called the European Defense Fund, is headed by the European Commission, one of seven organizations that manage the EU, and is intended "to help member states spend taxpayer money efficiently, reduce duplications and get better value for money," according to a post featured on the European Commission's official Twitter account. The decision comes after repeated demands by Trump that the U.S.'s European allies contribute more to Western military alliance NATO, which includes most of the EU and has undergone a major arms buildup in response to what it considers to be a growing regional threat by Russia.
An official statement by the European Commission detailed plans for the EU to provide $560 million for defense "development and acquisition" in 2019 and 2020, with that figure projected to reach more than $1 billion by 2020 and possibly expand to $5 billion per year in the years that follow.
Damn that Trump for getting Europe to actually honor it's military commitments.
And you might remember former President Trump was attempting to USE the Ukrainian president as a pawn in his nefarious scheme to get Biden out or depreciated as a candidate. It failed. Trump got impeached because of his actions. Trump was no fan of Ukraine.
If you are going to tell a lie tell a fucking whopper. Democrats were going to impeach Trump no matter what. They did so on a completely partisan basis. They violated all impeachment norms to do so.
The two leaders held a meeting at the U.N. one day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would launch a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump following reports of the President’s phone call with Zelensky in July. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Zelensky declared that he had not been pressured during the July phone call, and insisted that he does not want to interfere in a foreign election. Earlier on Wednesday, the White House released a summary of the phone call, which is comprised of “notes and recollections” from staff assigned to listen to the call and is not a transcript of the call.
In one exchange from the White House memo, Zelensky thanks Trump for his support of Ukraine’s defense. Trump responds, “I would like you to do us a favor though” and asks for Ukraine to investigate a matter related to the 2016 hacking of Democratic National Committee servers.
“I think you read everything. I think you read text,” Zelensky said to the gathered reporters on Wednesday. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be involved to democratic, open elections of U.S.A. No, you heard that we had good phone call. It was normal, we spoke about many things. I think, and you read it, that nobody pushed me.”
If Trump hated Ukraine so damn much why did he authorize lethal aid to be given? Obama only gave Ukraine non lethal aid as to not piss off Putin.
You want to know who wanted to block lethal aid to Ukraine? See below. Impeach Brandon now!
The Biden White House has temporarily halted a military aid package to Ukraine that would include lethal weapons, a plan originally made in response to aggressive Russian troop movements along Ukraine’s border this spring.
The aid package would be worth up to $100 million, according to four people familiar with internal deliberations.
The National Security Council directed officials to put the package together, as Washington grew increasingly concerned over a massive Russian military buildup near the border with Ukraine and in the Crimean Peninsula, according to three of the people, who like the others asked not to be named in order to speak candidly about internal discussions. Officials at the State Department and Pentagon worked to assemble the proposal.
But officials on the National Security Council ended up putting the proposal on hold after Russia announced it would draw down troops stationed near Ukraine and in the lead-up to President Joe Biden’s high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One of the sources said the package is still intact, and could be sent to Ukraine quickly. The Washington Post first reported that the administration considered and has now frozen the package. The fact that National Security Council officials froze the aid and the specific weapons discussed for inclusion in the aid package have not been previously reported.
So tell us why the Democrats aren't moving to impeach Brandon?
We could just as easily see a scenario where Trump would not help Ukraine if he was president today.
He had to wait for Trump to steal top secret info, then give him the information. Also, what exactly was discussed in Helsinki? Perhaps exactly what is happening in the Ukraine, RIGHT NOW?
He had to wait for Trump to steal top secret info, then give him the information. Also, what exactly was discussed in Helsinki? Perhaps exactly what is happening in the Ukraine, RIGHT NOW?Probably.
Unsubstantiated (STILL!!!) bullshit in that post.
Do all progressive liberals believe wild-assed conspiracy theories about Helsinki or is it just the ones who frequent this place?
Fox News talking points. It is 'miraculous' that so-called "free-thinking" conservatives can to a fault get talking points 'down.' Who is quoting whom? Fox News or our "free-thinkers" here? Inquiring minds wish to know.
Putin didn't have to invade Ukraine. He had his stooge installed in the top position in the White House.
Putin played Trump, never talking to him directly, until the moron was illegally elected POTUS by suckers, to fu**k*** stupid to realize Trump is as whacked out as Putin, but on a much lower level.
Putin, like China, plays the long game. Trump sincerely believed that he could "Con" Putin, cozening up to this genocidal murderer, in order, to get his Trump Tower/Casino/Spa built in Moscow.
Trump tried to bribe Putin. He offered Putin the "Penthouse Presidential Suite" free, according to his interlocutor.
Putin played the "con man" on "Devil's Fiddle," and the "con man was conned" by a bigger, more ruthless, blood thirsty Con Man, with an Army in the million, and over 6000 Nuclear Weapons in his back pocket.
Trump was, and, is way out of Putin's league. Both, however are going down. Way, way down.
Putin has been grooming Trump for decades, pumping millions into Trump's real estate properties thorough his billionaire Oligarchs. (Recently Putin ordered the murder and execution of several oligarch and top military general who tried to poison him).
(Read Malcolm Vance's books, columns, watch his TV News interview on ever Networks Channel, including Fox TV's Fake News, (Entertainment Channel for Dummies.)
Malcolm is an American Hero! He is a former CIA Intelligence Officer stationed for years in Moscow, who has put his life at risk to protect his country, while Trump sold a piece of it every damn minute he soiled the White House his diaper full of wet, fresh bull SHAT! (British)
Trump is a chump, who would sell his mother, daughter, sons, and Communist bred wife for MONEY. His Trump property in Panama was confiscated by the government for "money laundering the Drug Cartels" funds thorough his hotel/casino/cat house.
Why anyone, with half-a-brain would think that this THIRD GENERATION CAREERCRIMINAL would make a good POTUS is beyond insanity. It is off the charts. "Something smells in Denmark," Mate. Some say it is "Diaper Don's Depends."
Hillbillies are raising their Confederate Flags and planning attacks on their own government, when that "guvmint" is protecting their "Unwashed Arses!"
Red Necks need to "give it a rest", pack up their arms, body armor, explosives, and war chests and 'hightail" it to Ukraine to fight Putin's Army? Or, will these twisted fake soldiers join Putin's side and slaughter unarmed civilians fer da fun of it?
Don't worry I'm way ahead of them. I can take the nasty comments peppered with insults and the golden silence, but one thing I won't let them get away with is playing loose with the facts.
Are some conservatives really this petty? Russia is signing it wants to move on a sovereign nation that does not want its 'insertion' and you are counting 'corpes'? How macabre can conservatives be? Really. People grow and development is badly needed here.
I guess you failed to notice the sarc tag at the end of my comment. Pettiness is not confined to just conservatives. The liberal left more than their share of it as well. Perhaps if you did not have such a intense dislike of conservatives you might see that.
I did see that sarcasm tag: my statement about pettiness was about the tone of the THREAD itself. If some conservatives would not persist in stirring around in 'old feces' we could get on with serious business and repair for some of these breaches we have integrated throughout our institutions. And be a more inclusive instead of divided state.
As far as my dislike for Trump conservatives go, I won't mince words with you, Ed-NavDoc. This is our home. Our shared home. I was born here as a Black American and you as are (can't tell through the virtual 'dark'). I have been dealing with suppressive and repressive people and personalities all my life. So much so that I just took it for granted. May be even the same way girls and women take for granted that their sons should be able to abuse them at will. "Just the ways of the world."
One day I woke up to the idea that it does not have to be this way. For me, I think it first happened when this nation removed homosexuality from the DSM-xx: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and have been building on the enlightenment ever sense.
Therefore, I take great exception to people who want to set the nation back to some old 'standard' that was unworkable then and would be just as much if not more so in the future.
So I resent some conservative statements loaded with innuendoes and nuances of some 'spirited' past that would see me 'kissing up' to a man or woman or worse a boy or girl who should be my equal whether than dominating me.
NOTE: @1.1.3 above I am making the similar point about Russia's Putin threatening repressive activities against Ukraine—people who simply ask to be left alone to 'republic' their own freedoms aside from what the smothering dictates of Russia are for Russians or any 'backdrop' of reconstituting the Soviet Union.
Ukraine has been there, done that, didn't like it and don't want more of it. Heavy-handed Russia seeks to drag them back under Putin 'passion' and like liberals here we are fed up to our eyeballs with the alternative states of reality that some conservatives are choosing for themselves to 'drag' us to accept.
Interesting that you only just now specify "Trump conservatives", which I most certainly am not one one, where you did not previously. By you not having made that distinction clearly, I do take some umbrage. Contrary to popular belief of some on this site, not all conservatives are Trump supporters any more than all liberals or Democrats are Biden supporters.
Perhaps if you did not have such a intense dislike of conservatives you might see that.
You accusedly implied that I (strongly) dislike conservatives, so I wrote it clearlyfor you:
"As far as my dislike for Trump conservatives go, I won't mince words with you, Ed-NavDoc."
If you are not a Trump conservative who lies, schemes, is fiercely 'combative, and insistent of your own collective (but private) alternative reality, then I don't dislike you.
I have lost patience with schemers, liars, cheats, combative to a fault, types, namely Trump conservatives. Too much has been done and is continuously piling up to ignore, in my opinion. Donald Trump should be too ashamed to step foot into the public view, but alas, he is not ashamed (do any detectable degree). So yes, I dislike him and those who enable him to manipulate people.
Just imagine what the last POTUS would be saying if this were his term. Something about genocide against Russians, Russia’s right to defend themselves, and there’s no evidence Russia is planning an invasion. “I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this, I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
Trump isn't President. Why not post an article about him?
Probably about the same time Uncle Joe and his boy Hunter do. Both families have so much Teflon coating on them it's a wonder they can walk straight and the crap just slides right off.
Ex-Navy attacking the Commander in Chief in a time of impending War, seems to this ex-GI, Vietnam Vet, a tad bit "unpatriotic." Biden is ten million times the man the "Diaper Donnie" is.
Have you examine what Trump's off-off springs have done to this country. The entire family is under investigation for a variety of crime.
The South will never rise again, Texas is not a separate nation, and slavery, not state rights was the issue in the Civil War.
And, nearly every screaming Evangelical, Talking-In-Tongue preacher man is a CON MAN.
When will Putin attack? Next week, next month, next year? Biden has said a lot of dumb shit- it was supposed to be this last Wednesday- he even had the moron President of Ukraine believing that. The Ukrainians made a national holiday out of it. No attack. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
So far Biden's information has proved as reliable as bobble head boy Schiff's information on Trump colluding with Russia. A whole lot of talk with jack shit of nothing to back it up.
Putin can move his troops around Russia forever. Want to place bets on which country is wasting more money with troop deployments?
Hope Democrats are proud of the human fuck up machine they put in the Oval Office.
Your comments grow ever more bizarre. This is the first and only time that President Biden has said that he is convinced that Putin has made a final decision to attack Ukraine.
President Biden was asked today if he specifically believes Putin has made the final decision to invade Ukraine. Biden said yes and he was asked what he is basing that on and Biden said we have enormous intelligence capabilities. He was in so many words saying that the United States has learned through intelligence capabilities that Putin has made the final decision . okay?
President Biden was asked today if he specifically believes Putin has made the final decision to invade Ukraine.
I watched the very brief press conference. He first made that statement, then a reporter who screamed above all the others asked him to repeat it. He did, then promptly left the room.
Biden said yes and he was asked what he is basing that on and Biden said we have enormous intelligence capabilities.
Of course, John, that's the only reason he would be saying it. Military experts have said it and Susan Rice trained him to say those few sentences and out came the all too obvious announcement.
He was in so many words saying that the United States has learned through intelligence capabilities that Putin has made the final decision . okay?
Um hum, but John, he also said it Wednesday, which Ronin correctly pointed out. So why did you say that his comments grow ever more bizarre?
Today's statement was definitive in a way the other wasn't
The last one said within 72 hours. That was pretty definitive.
if you didn't have so much irrational hatred of Biden you would see that
I don't hate Biden John, despite what he has done to this country. There is one benefit to Biden. To steal a line from Jane Fonda - he's God's gift to the right.
No one cares, Vic if you hate Biden. Indeed, go ahead hate President Joe Biden and see if it changes anything in nature or on these boards. Divided Americans are a gift to Russia. A damn big gift. And I wonder if Russia is pulling strings to make that so?
No one cares, Vic if you hate Biden. Indeed, go ahead hate President Joe Biden and see if it changes anything in nature or on these boards. Divided Americans are a gift to Russia. A damn big gift. And I wonder if Russia is pulling strings to make that so?
So people hating Trump didn't divide us?
It's just when a Democrat isn't liked that it is a problem?
What "gift" do you think it bestows on Russia?
And how will this "gift" benefit Russia?
Whatever Biden decides to do (or what his handlers decide) is what will happen on our end, and whether we as a nation are divided on it doesn't matter at all.
TDS, Texan - really? You brought Donald up. 'Flipping the script' to make a point is most potent when two things parallel each other well this is not one of those scenarios. Russia needs the U.S.A. to be 'navel-gazing' and dealing with its own threat of loss (of a republic) while he engages in border expansion. BTW, this could be CRIMEA Part 2 for him. Benefit Russia: Can you say, "SOVIET!"?
As with the pandemic, we don't have time for this 'nut-clenching' that is American politics. Biden has the responsibility to manage international affairs. Let him have the latitude to execute completely and then you can try 'tearing him a 'new' one.'
Thank you for accurately reading what I wrote. Yes, I brought up Trump to illustrate a particular point which somehow you have managed to miss entirely.
I will freely criticize Biden when I think he fucks things up.
Get some conservative 'freak' on then! Biden could care less! RUSSIA is certifiable trouble. Some conservatives' projections, diminutives, and distractions not comparable.
The sad part is that a large portion of hard core Leftist liberal Democrats are quite proud of it and are incapable of seeing what is really happening. The getting Trump out of office was the end all be all for them. That's all that mattered. God help us all!
Putin's plan is to take back all of the territories/countries that STALIN forced into the USSR. Weaken NATO, Europe and attack Ukraine as his second step toward world domination with Communist China.
Ronin2, have you revised your view of the situation in Ukraine since you posted your vulgar spew condemnation of the duly elected president of the UNITED STATES, who has brought NATO back together, after "Diaper Don" did Putin bidding by threatening to pull out of NATO and cripple it?
Anger will only carry one so far.
The reality of our situation is that Trump has been compromised by Putin for decades. The World is on the "Tipping Point" of a Nuclear Holocaust that has the potential to destroy all life on our planet.
Putin is the Monster, not Biden.
Biden is not Trump.
Biden graduated from college, went on to law school, graduated with his Law Degree, was elected mayor, got elected to the United States Senate, where he served for over 32 years. He was elected Vice President and served 8 years under Obama, who was continuously attack by under-educated, angry, marginal deadbeats that are rapidly being left behind in an ever evolving technological world.
The anger that an overwhelming number of former factory workers, low skilled jobs holders, and impoverished folks feels should be directed at the SUPER RICH, CONSERVATIVE, RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS. They are the ones that have bought the GOP to it current level of wholesale corruption, bribery and dancing with the Devil Putin,
elected president of the UNITED STATES, who has brought NATO back together, after "Diaper Don" did Putin bidding by threatening to pull out of NATO and cripple it?
I see the usual documentation for silly claims. NATO wasn't apart for Biden to bring them back together again.
The reality of our situation is that Trump has been compromised by Putin for decades. The World is on the "Tipping Point" of a Nuclear Holocaust that has the potential to destroy all life on our planet.
Wild speculation and hyperbole.
The anger that an overwhelming number of former factory workers, low skilled jobs holders, and impoverished folks feels should be directed at the SUPER RICH, CONSERVATIVE, RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS. They are the ones that have bought the GOP to it current level of wholesale corruption, bribery and dancing with the Devil Putin,
Yep, Brother the GOP is now the Government of Putin. It attract KKK members, the Proud Boys Insurrectionist, Militia Paranoid, and Gun Nuts, who can't wait to start shootin' up their neighbor to kill non-believers.
How did it get so low? Trump, Newt Gingrich, Rand Paul, Gazer, The Turtle Neck Gobbet from KY, Abbott, Governor Death Sentence from Fla, etc.
Make Ukraine Putin’s Iraq. Give the government plenty of weapons and fund/arm an insurgency combined with economic sanctions hitting every aspect of the Russian economy.
Make Ukraine Putin’s Iraq. Give the government plenty of weapons and fund/arm an insurgency
Heard of scorched earth? Putin has. He doesn't give a shit about his own soldiers; why would he care about Ukrainians?
combined with economic sanctions hitting every aspect of the Russian economy.
Too late; Brandon dropped Trump's sanctions of the Nord Stream II Pipeline; and got jack shit in return. Also, name any sanctions that have ever hurt Putin. We have been sanctioning him for 3 administrations now; and here we are.
Putin may not care, but the Russian people care about their sons in body bags.
Don’t know who Brandon is or what the fuck you are banking about with that, but the pipeline isn’t the only thing Russia can be hit with. Just keep up the pressure and make it hurt every day Russia decides Ukraine belongs to it.
I think it could be counted as a NATO positive if/when: Russia 'staying' home and remembering how laborious it is to manage people who won't sit still and obey! (See: Soviet crash causes and cost.) Though I fear that is getting harder every day now that Putin has exposed himself to potential national 'backlash"! Where is God in all of this? Lord: We need you!
Perhaps the sanctioning of Russia by the U.S., its allies, and Ukraine itself could be so drastic that Russia actually has a 'flashback' to the history of loss and diminishing returns of trying to take and hold Afghanistan. (Are the Ukrainians as ruggedly stubborn and fierce as the Afghan Taliban?)
NATO, and every nation in Europe, along with the Biden administration, England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and every neighboring nation are worried and at risk of a Russian invasion.
Russia, under Putin, is not an ally of any country, except China.
NATO, and every nation in Europe, along with the Biden administration, England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and every neighboring nation are worried and at risk of a Russian invasion.Russia, under Putin, is not an ally of any country, except China.
Perhaps the sanctioning of Russia by the U.S., its allies, and Ukraine itself could be so drastic that Russia actually has a 'flashback' to the history of loss and diminishing returns of trying to take and hold Afghanistan.
Perhaps--IF we had bothered to place sanctions now as a deterrent instead of waiting and placing them as punishment.
I don't know about it, honestly. Maybe if sanctions are on as a deterrent on what basis do they come OFF? I don't have enough to consider the 'question.'
Maybe if sanctions are on as a deterrent on what basis do they come OFF?
Perhaps when Russia retreats away from the border and stops all talk of invasion. And maybe leave the sanctions in place for a while anyways as a future deterrent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Western leaders gathered at a security conference in Munich on Saturday that he wants sanctions to be imposed against Russia before any potential invasion of his country, not after."You're telling me that it's 100% that the war will start in a couple of days. Then what [are you] waiting for?" Zelensky said. "We don't need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen, and after our country will be fired at or after we will have no borders or after we will have no economy or parts of our country will be occupied. Why would we need those sanctions then?"
"So when you're asking what can be done, well lots of different things can be done. We can even provide you the list. The most important is willingness," he said.
Apparently, Zelensky, through a CBS reporter I heard it said, feels that Russia and Putin are already negatively affecting the economy, the tourist industry, and daily functioning of Ukraine.
I can see that. But as you stated, sanctions can be mitigated, that is, have their thunder stolen if put in place improperly.
It is the words of a leader 'cracking' under the pressure of "rumors of war." President Zelensky is becoming keenly aware of changes incurring in his country under the stress-fracturing of people and nations scattering, pulling out, standing 'afar' off and leaving them to face what comes. I even heard mentioned that if Russia does not move in to Ukraine, there is a high probability they could 'strangle' and vex economics in Ukraine by "endless" forces resting on Russian soil in a 'ready' state.
It is enough to make a President who is working to build something, worried and paranoid. Zelensky would like not less than Russian forces 'unstacking' and going steadily 'home.'
Blah! It must be awful to be stuck in the 'armpit' of a musty Russian dictator 'tossing in his sleep' about dreams of "Soviet" glory!
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps? We cannot change the past, if we could Trump would never have made it out of Jeffrey Epstein Cat House.
Why is it that every Red Neck Cowboy from Texas has to blame Democrats for policy failures, when "Diaper Don" is the most destruction, treasonous POS that every held the office of POTUS.
Perhaps, if T-Rump Bone (I.Q. 45) wasn't an International Con Man/Crook, "Diaper Don," aka, "Stinky Pants" would be in prison now, and his Mafia connected Criminal Enterprise would be shut down.
Biden, does not act alone, unlike, "the self proclaimed" T-Rump Bone Head. Biden has a team of Military experts, an excellent Cabinet, and the top people in the Pentagon and the CIA working together to PREVENT a Nuclear War with Putin.
It is well past time for American to get on board or move to Russia if they like tough, authoritarian dictatorship, so much.
And, the those FAKE wannabe, gun toting, play-acting soldiers might want to take their militia and fight Putin's Goons in the Ukraine, instead of threatening their fellow citizens with their treasonous act, like Jan 6th.
Arm chair quarterback, sit on their took-as, slugging beer after beer, as they scream at the TV and criticize, criticize, criticize, despite never play in the game at any level.
But, they have manage to convince themselves that they are the smartest person in the room and spend much of their life telling others how to live, think, vote and what athletes, politicians, and much of the worlds inhabitants did wrong.
Make Ukraine Putin’s Iraq. Give the government plenty of weapons and fund/arm an insurgency combined with economic sanctions hitting every aspect of the Russian economy.
As I remember we did that in Afghanistan and it didn't turn out that well in the end.
Yeah, but I dont think we will have the issue of Islamic extremists making Ukraine home. The situation is actually not similar in the slightest now that I think about it. Pretty much everything about it is completely different, in what ways is Ukraine similar to Afghanistan (then or now)?
in what ways is Ukraine similar to Afghanistan (then or now)?
fund/arm an insurgency combined with economic sanctions hitting every aspect of the Russian economy.
When Russia invaded Afghanistan, the US provided funds and arms to the Mujahideen to keep the proxy war going. That's how it's similar. And my comment was directly aimed at this..
Putin, the demented Military genius, recently roundup several of his oligarchs, top military leaders, some of his closes bodyguards, when their failed attempted to poison.
Of course, Horse, Trump's idol had them immediately EXECUTED. Trump's to this day friends believes that "Putin is a military genius."
And, too think this nut job was voted in by Right Wing, Conservative Patriots that convinced themselves that they are the True Patriots and attacked the Capital Building, storming it chambers, did over two million dollars in vandalism, threaten to kill Senators, Congress Representatives, injured 130 Capital Police Officers with bottle, chains, clubs, etc. And beating a good man to death.
People, especially under educated, angry failures are easy pawns for the truly Evil Devil like Hitler, Putin, Trump, and, too, damn many Red Face, Red Necks still fighting the Civil War.
It is a sad tragic story, if it wasn't so infectious and deadly. Mobs are led by psychopaths who prey upon their fears.
2700 psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health doctors, counselors signed a letter and published in several top newspapers to warn the general public how insane, cruel, and liar Trump is, and has been for decades.
73 million agreed, 53 million for some strange reason believe "Diaper Don" was appointed by GOD, although GOD is not a registered voter.
This is considered to be a watershed statement by President Biden. He said that the US has Intelligence that Putin has made up his mind
Hasn't everybody known for at least a couple of weeks they were going to invade?
If you listened to Putin's town crier Brandon it has always been a forgone conclusion. Unfortunately Brandon is terrible with dates; and reading tea leaves.
I dunno about all that. It's just been all over CNBC and Bloomberg that the whole thing is imminent, and apparently the only reason it hasn't happened already is because the Chinese would be really pissed about anything upstaging the Olympics.
I'm also frankly not sure what anybody expects Joe to do about it.
Do we really give a shit about Ukraine? Enough to send our boys?
My personal opinion is Putin realizes that any chance of reconstituting the Soviet Union in its 'heyday' falls heavily on Russia to keep countries from joining NATO, thereabouts. Also, Putin must realize he has awoken the 'beast' of NATO potential expansion east because he dared, threatens incursion and invasion. Now, Putin is stuck on the horns of dilemma: He has boxed himself into acting against the whole of Ukraine - to stop a self-fulfilling prophecy: NATO eastern expansion.
You may be right. I dunno.
It looks like we're about to find out in the next couple of weeks or so.
Only you, Jack.
Just imagine what the last POTUS would be saying if this were his term. Something about genocide against Russians, Russia’s right to defend themselves, and there’s no evidence Russia is planning an invasion. “I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this, I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
When in doubt make shit up that never happened. Funny how Putin waited until Biden was in charge to pull this shit. That is reality whether you and the left like it or not.
190,000 troops surrounding Ukraine, enough intelligence to publicly announce an invasion is imminent by Biden himself, and listen to you. We should start calling you comrade.
There's no doubt there are a lot of Russian sympathizers on the US political right
Nah, that’s just more left wing crackpottery.
Complete bullshit on your part. Nothing more .....
It wasn't anyone on the political right who moved away from sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
It wasn't anyone on the political right who shut down the XL Pipeline and helped send oil prices to $100 a barrel.
It wasn't anyone on the right who ran back to the START Treaty which Russia constantly violated
and most important of all:
It wasn't anyone on the political right who sat back without uttering a word when Putin put 70,000 troops on the Ukrainian border back in March.
No John, Putin senses weakness and it's obvious to any rational human being how we got here.
Not only that, but as is clear in this seed’s comments, when the invasion does happen they will immediately make the claim that if Trump were POTUS Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine. It’s the result of reflexive sycophancy married to inherent hatred of Democrats.
it would have already happened with trump's support and encouragement.
He would have said it was their just desserts for Ukraine not jumping to help him win the election.
"40% of Republicans say Russia is an ally or friendly, up from 22% in 2014"
" How the GOP became the party of Putin "
" Four years ago, I began writing about the growing sympathy for Russia among some American conservatives. Back then, the Putin fan club was limited to seemingly fringe figures like Pat Buchanan (“Is Vladimir Putin a paleoconservative?” he asked, answering in the affirmative), a bunch of cranks organized around the Ron Paul Institute and some anti-gay marriage bitter-enders so resentful at their domestic political loss they would ally themselves with an authoritarian regime that not so long ago they would have condemned for exporting “godless communism.”
" Today, these figures are no longer on the fringe of GOP politics. According to a Morning Consult-Politico poll from May, an astonishing 49 percent of Republicans consider Russia an ally. Favorable views of Putin – a career KGB officer who hates America – have nearly tripled among Republicans in the past two years, with 32 percent expressing a positive opinion .
Of course there are a lot of Russian sympathizers on the US political right, but you won't hear any admission of that from Republicans just like they won't admit how prevalent white supremacists, white nationalists and bigoted confederate wannabes are among their party.
Sounds like your side can't wait for a "minor incursion" to start.
And all of our troops, senselessly deployed by Biden, will simply have to sit and watch.
Another Biden botched up mess
What's "funny" about it? Strategic planning takes many variables into consideration. Let's hypothesize that Putin did not have his own country where it needed to be due to many factors including a world-wide pandemic or the "on-going" feud and division Trump was provoking with NATO allies. See how that works. We can not "funny" anything about dictator time-tables. And you might remember former President Trump was attempting to USE the Ukrainian president as a pawn in his nefarious scheme to get Biden out or depreciated as a candidate. It failed. Trump got impeached because of his actions. Trump was no fan of Ukraine.
We could just as easily see a scenario where Trump would not help Ukraine if he was president today.
Could be the politics of Olympic gold medaling. Mother Russia wants its children to 'go big' on the medal show. But that is a basic guess. Who knows what is going on in Putin's mind?
If you mean Putin senses that the needs of his nation relative to Ukraine are more strategic, than our going to war directly with another nuclear nation-then he got that part of the 'saber-rattling' right. Outcomes are predictable in that scenario. You might want to 'recalculate.' There are no absolutes or certainties or 'wimps' at this level of international intrigue!
And what would some conservatives be prepared to do different? NATO has a right to offer its 'value' anywhere it wants and to whom requests it if it wants. If President Putin wants to play this 'hand' for all its worth let him. Prepare yourself: There will be no winners.
Same goes for China. Tough rhetoric and violence between such megapowers will produce bad outcomes, period.
Best get what you can from deal-making and stand-down.
All on Russia's side of the border. Moving troops around quite nicely and making former Soviet border states, now NATO members, quake in their boots and scream for US troops (not NATO forces you notice). Why is that?
Brandon is doing an excellent job of ratcheting up the fear. Putin couldn't ask for a better patsy.
So pointing out Brandon's incompetence that could start WWIII is the same as supporting Putin? In case you didn't notice, I am not for war with Russia- but the human fuck up machine in the Oval Office is ratcheting up the fear to the point one of our NATO allies might jump the gun and attack Russian forces while they still are in Russia.
I like the left a hell of a lot better when they were anti war.
The biggest one is having the most incompetent President ever in the Oval Office.
Oh goody, the "But Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!" card. First of all Trump forced our NATO allies to increase their defense funding to what it should be.
Secondly, that divisiveness was working wonderfully when the Europeans were discussing forming their own combined military- instead of relying on the US. We should only get so lucky.
Damn that Trump for getting Europe to actually honor it's military commitments.
If you are going to tell a lie tell a fucking whopper. Democrats were going to impeach Trump no matter what. They did so on a completely partisan basis. They violated all impeachment norms to do so.
If Trump hated Ukraine so damn much why did he authorize lethal aid to be given? Obama only gave Ukraine non lethal aid as to not piss off Putin.
You want to know who wanted to block lethal aid to Ukraine? See below. Impeach Brandon now!
So tell us why the Democrats aren't moving to impeach Brandon?
Only in TDS sufferers minds.
My point stands. I am not going to argue with you, Ronin2. On that note, I'll stop here because. . .I'd just better for my emotional health.
We don't like it Ronin2. Remember how "Diaper Don" had, and to this day, does business with Putin's Russia?
Greg: How long did you serve in the Pentagon?
Remember when "Diaper Don" invited the Russian delegates and Russian Reporters into the Oval office, and refused to allow American reporters in?
T-Rump has financial ties to Russians Oligarch and the Russian Mafia. Trump is not a patriot. He is a FRAUD!
It remember the hair sniffer being wrong on virtually every major foreign policy position for nearly 50 years .... and counting ....
But he handled Corn Pop at the pool handily ......
Ironic.. Had trump still been in office Putin would have invaded the Ukraine MONTHS ago.
Trump was in office and Putin never made a move.
He had to wait for Trump to steal top secret info, then give him the information. Also, what exactly was discussed in Helsinki? Perhaps exactly what is happening in the Ukraine, RIGHT NOW?
Probably.
Unsubstantiated (STILL!!!) bullshit in that post.
Do all progressive liberals believe wild-assed conspiracy theories about Helsinki or is it just the ones who frequent this place?
… when the invasion does happen they will immediately make the claim that if Trump were POTUS Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine.
Nailed it!
So you accurately predicted that the truth of the matter would be brought up.
Congrats.
Congratulations to the both of you on being so predictable!
Thanks for appreciating truth!
Fox News talking points. It is 'miraculous' that so-called "free-thinking" conservatives can to a fault get talking points 'down.' Who is quoting whom? Fox News or our "free-thinkers" here? Inquiring minds wish to know.
Putin didn't have to invade Ukraine. He had his stooge installed in the top position in the White House.
Putin played Trump, never talking to him directly, until the moron was illegally elected POTUS by suckers, to fu**k*** stupid to realize Trump is as whacked out as Putin, but on a much lower level.
Putin, like China, plays the long game. Trump sincerely believed that he could "Con" Putin, cozening up to this genocidal murderer, in order, to get his Trump Tower/Casino/Spa built in Moscow.
Trump tried to bribe Putin. He offered Putin the "Penthouse Presidential Suite" free, according to his interlocutor.
Putin played the "con man" on "Devil's Fiddle," and the "con man was conned" by a bigger, more ruthless, blood thirsty Con Man, with an Army in the million, and over 6000 Nuclear Weapons in his back pocket.
Trump was, and, is way out of Putin's league. Both, however are going down. Way, way down.
Putin has been grooming Trump for decades, pumping millions into Trump's real estate properties thorough his billionaire Oligarchs. (Recently Putin ordered the murder and execution of several oligarch and top military general who tried to poison him).
(Read Malcolm Vance's books, columns, watch his TV News interview on ever Networks Channel, including Fox TV's Fake News, (Entertainment Channel for Dummies.)
Malcolm is an American Hero! He is a former CIA Intelligence Officer stationed for years in Moscow, who has put his life at risk to protect his country, while Trump sold a piece of it every damn minute he soiled the White House his diaper full of wet, fresh bull SHAT! (British)
Trump is a chump, who would sell his mother, daughter, sons, and Communist bred wife for MONEY. His Trump property in Panama was confiscated by the government for "money laundering the Drug Cartels" funds thorough his hotel/casino/cat house.
Why anyone, with half-a-brain would think that this THIRD GENERATION CAREER CRIMINAL would make a good POTUS is beyond insanity. It is off the charts.
"Something smells in Denmark," Mate. Some say it is "Diaper Don's Depends."
Hillbillies are raising their Confederate Flags and planning attacks on their own government, when that "guvmint" is protecting their "Unwashed Arses!"
Red Necks need to "give it a rest", pack up their arms, body armor, explosives, and war chests and 'hightail" it to Ukraine to fight Putin's Army? Or, will these twisted fake soldiers join Putin's side and slaughter unarmed civilians fer da fun of it?
Gosh, gee, have you yet alerted the authorities with all of your evidence for this spectacularly silly claim?
Lol .... what passes for sound logic here for some, is simply unbelievable.
Yep
Yea that's total bullshit..
But you knew it before you typed it.
Lol. Why is it bullshit? Trump has been Putin’s bitch for years now.
Of course you have proof of this s/
Lol .... a Democrat is back in office .... time for Putin to annex more of his former USSR.
Who’re the bitches now?
Exactly.
Trump just sat there and watched while he invaded Crimea.
Is that a joke?
Crimea was taken under Obama's watch.
Pretty sure it was sarcasm ....
I like to see that /S at the end.
*sigh*
C'mon Vic. Keep up.
Don't worry I'm way ahead of them. I can take the nasty comments peppered with insults and the golden silence, but one thing I won't let them get away with is playing loose with the facts.
Hoo boy, the bovine excrement sure is getting deep!/s
Are some conservatives really this petty? Russia is signing it wants to move on a sovereign nation that does not want its 'insertion' and you are counting 'corpes'? How macabre can conservatives be? Really. People grow and development is badly needed here.
I guess you failed to notice the sarc tag at the end of my comment. Pettiness is not confined to just conservatives. The liberal left more than their share of it as well. Perhaps if you did not have such a intense dislike of conservatives you might see that.
I did see that sarcasm tag: my statement about pettiness was about the tone of the THREAD itself. If some conservatives would not persist in stirring around in 'old feces' we could get on with serious business and repair for some of these breaches we have integrated throughout our institutions. And be a more inclusive instead of divided state.
My statement still stands. Have a good day.
As far as my dislike for Trump conservatives go, I won't mince words with you, Ed-NavDoc. This is our home. Our shared home. I was born here as a Black American and you as are (can't tell through the virtual 'dark'). I have been dealing with suppressive and repressive people and personalities all my life. So much so that I just took it for granted. May be even the same way girls and women take for granted that their sons should be able to abuse them at will. "Just the ways of the world."
One day I woke up to the idea that it does not have to be this way. For me, I think it first happened when this nation removed homosexuality from the DSM-xx: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and have been building on the enlightenment ever sense.
Therefore, I take great exception to people who want to set the nation back to some old 'standard' that was unworkable then and would be just as much if not more so in the future.
So I resent some conservative statements loaded with innuendoes and nuances of some 'spirited' past that would see me 'kissing up' to a man or woman or worse a boy or girl who should be my equal whether than dominating me.
NOTE: @1.1.3 above I am making the similar point about Russia's Putin threatening repressive activities against Ukraine—people who simply ask to be left alone to 'republic' their own freedoms aside from what the smothering dictates of Russia are for Russians or any 'backdrop' of reconstituting the Soviet Union.
Ukraine has been there, done that, didn't like it and don't want more of it. Heavy-handed Russia seeks to drag them back under Putin 'passion' and like liberals here we are fed up to our eyeballs with the alternative states of reality that some conservatives are choosing for themselves to 'drag' us to accept.
- Now have a nice day yourself.
When is T-Rump and family going to prison?
Interesting that you only just now specify "Trump conservatives", which I most certainly am not one one, where you did not previously. By you not having made that distinction clearly, I do take some umbrage. Contrary to popular belief of some on this site, not all conservatives are Trump supporters any more than all liberals or Democrats are Biden supporters.
You accusedly implied that I (strongly) dislike conservatives, so I wrote it clearly for you:
If you are not a Trump conservative who lies, schemes, is fiercely 'combative, and insistent of your own collective (but private) alternative reality, then I don't dislike you.
I have lost patience with schemers, liars, cheats, combative to a fault, types, namely Trump conservatives. Too much has been done and is continuously piling up to ignore, in my opinion. Donald Trump should be too ashamed to step foot into the public view, but alas, he is not ashamed (do any detectable degree). So yes, I dislike him and those who enable him to manipulate people.
Don't you?
Trump isn't President. Why not post an article about him?
T-Rump Bone is under investigation for multiple violations, including TREASON.
Probably about the same time Uncle Joe and his boy Hunter do. Both families have so much Teflon coating on them it's a wonder they can walk straight and the crap just slides right off.
which has squat to do with the discussion, but kudos for getting him in it anyways!
Ex-Navy attacking the Commander in Chief in a time of impending War, seems to this ex-GI, Vietnam Vet, a tad bit "unpatriotic." Biden is ten million times the man the "Diaper Donnie" is.
Have you examine what Trump's off-off springs have done to this country. The entire family is under investigation for a variety of crime.
The South will never rise again, Texas is not a separate nation, and slavery, not state rights was the issue in the Civil War.
And, nearly every screaming Evangelical, Talking-In-Tongue preacher man is a CON MAN.
Who side are Red Neck on, anyway?
When will Putin attack? Next week, next month, next year? Biden has said a lot of dumb shit- it was supposed to be this last Wednesday- he even had the moron President of Ukraine believing that. The Ukrainians made a national holiday out of it. No attack. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
So far Biden's information has proved as reliable as bobble head boy Schiff's information on Trump colluding with Russia. A whole lot of talk with jack shit of nothing to back it up.
Putin can move his troops around Russia forever. Want to place bets on which country is wasting more money with troop deployments?
Hope Democrats are proud of the human fuck up machine they put in the Oval Office.
Your comments grow ever more bizarre. This is the first and only time that President Biden has said that he is convinced that Putin has made a final decision to attack Ukraine.
Actually Ronin is correct:
President Biden was asked today if he specifically believes Putin has made the final decision to invade Ukraine. Biden said yes and he was asked what he is basing that on and Biden said we have enormous intelligence capabilities. He was in so many words saying that the United States has learned through intelligence capabilities that Putin has made the final decision . okay?
I watched the very brief press conference. He first made that statement, then a reporter who screamed above all the others asked him to repeat it. He did, then promptly left the room.
Biden said yes and he was asked what he is basing that on and Biden said we have enormous intelligence capabilities.
Of course, John, that's the only reason he would be saying it. Military experts have said it and Susan Rice trained him to say those few sentences and out came the all too obvious announcement.
He was in so many words saying that the United States has learned through intelligence capabilities that Putin has made the final decision . okay?
Um hum, but John, he also said it Wednesday, which Ronin correctly pointed out. So why did you say that his comments grow ever more bizarre?
Today's statement was definitive in a way the other wasn't
if you didn't have so much irrational hatred of Biden you would see that
The last one said within 72 hours. That was pretty definitive.
if you didn't have so much irrational hatred of Biden you would see that
I don't hate Biden John, despite what he has done to this country. There is one benefit to Biden. To steal a line from Jane Fonda - he's God's gift to the right.
There is one benefit to Biden. To steal a line from Jane Fonda - he's God's gift to the right.
He beat the king of the right. Did you forget?
No one cares, Vic if you hate Biden. Indeed, go ahead hate President Joe Biden and see if it changes anything in nature or on these boards. Divided Americans are a gift to Russia. A damn big gift. And I wonder if Russia is pulling strings to make that so?
So people hating Trump didn't divide us?
It's just when a Democrat isn't liked that it is a problem?
What "gift" do you think it bestows on Russia?
And how will this "gift" benefit Russia?
Whatever Biden decides to do (or what his handlers decide) is what will happen on our end, and whether we as a nation are divided on it doesn't matter at all.
TDS, Texan - really? You brought Donald up. 'Flipping the script' to make a point is most potent when two things parallel each other well this is not one of those scenarios. Russia needs the U.S.A. to be 'navel-gazing' and dealing with its own threat of loss (of a republic) while he engages in border expansion. BTW, this could be CRIMEA Part 2 for him. Benefit Russia: Can you say, "SOVIET!"?
As with the pandemic, we don't have time for this 'nut-clenching' that is American politics. Biden has the responsibility to manage international affairs. Let him have the latitude to execute completely and then you can try 'tearing him a 'new' one.'
Thank you for accurately reading what I wrote. Yes, I brought up Trump to illustrate a particular point which somehow you have managed to miss entirely.
I will freely criticize Biden when I think he fucks things up.
Amen!
Get some conservative 'freak' on then!
Biden could care less! RUSSIA is certifiable trouble. Some conservatives' projections, diminutives, and distractions not comparable.
keep excusing the sorry President we have. He needs a few more blind supporters.
The right has no king. Funny what some liberals imagine.
Probably as soon as the Olympics are over.
He doesn't want to piss off China.
not to mention that most of the russian state sponsored athletic dept elite are there.
The sad part is that a large portion of hard core Leftist liberal Democrats are quite proud of it and are incapable of seeing what is really happening. The getting Trump out of office was the end all be all for them. That's all that mattered. God help us all!
Putin's plan is to take back all of the territories/countries that STALIN forced into the USSR. Weaken NATO, Europe and attack Ukraine as his second step toward world domination with Communist China.
Ronin2, have you revised your view of the situation in Ukraine since you posted your vulgar spew condemnation of the duly elected president of the UNITED STATES, who has brought NATO back together, after "Diaper Don" did Putin bidding by threatening to pull out of NATO and cripple it?
Anger will only carry one so far.
The reality of our situation is that Trump has been compromised by Putin for decades. The World is on the "Tipping Point" of a Nuclear Holocaust that has the potential to destroy all life on our planet.
Putin is the Monster, not Biden.
Biden is not Trump.
Biden graduated from college, went on to law school, graduated with his Law Degree, was elected mayor, got elected to the United States Senate, where he served for over 32 years. He was elected Vice President and served 8 years under Obama, who was continuously attack by under-educated, angry, marginal deadbeats that are rapidly being left behind in an ever evolving technological world.
The anger that an overwhelming number of former factory workers, low skilled jobs holders, and impoverished folks feels should be directed at the SUPER RICH, CONSERVATIVE, RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS. They are the ones that have bought the GOP to it current level of wholesale corruption, bribery and dancing with the Devil Putin,
So true .... a lot of folks are going to find that out the hard way this November.
I see the usual documentation for silly claims. NATO wasn't apart for Biden to bring them back together again.
Wild speculation and hyperbole.
Oh, God.
Yep, Brother the GOP is now the Government of Putin. It attract KKK members, the Proud Boys Insurrectionist, Militia Paranoid, and Gun Nuts, who can't wait to start shootin' up their neighbor to kill non-believers.
How did it get so low? Trump, Newt Gingrich, Rand Paul, Gazer, The Turtle Neck Gobbet from KY, Abbott, Governor Death Sentence from Fla, etc.
always amusing
Make Ukraine Putin’s Iraq. Give the government plenty of weapons and fund/arm an insurgency combined with economic sanctions hitting every aspect of the Russian economy.
Heard of scorched earth? Putin has. He doesn't give a shit about his own soldiers; why would he care about Ukrainians?
Too late; Brandon dropped Trump's sanctions of the Nord Stream II Pipeline; and got jack shit in return. Also, name any sanctions that have ever hurt Putin. We have been sanctioning him for 3 administrations now; and here we are.
What's your solution, Ronin2? How would you corral Putin or get him to stand-down? Please share with us. . . .
Doesn't matter what anyone else's solutions may be.
The only ones that count are Joe Biden and his handlers' solutions.
So take a wait and see approach and maybe try to be positive.
I can do nothing else, Thought I had made that exact point abundantly clear, but I guess it escapes some.
What do you see as a positive for the US in this scenario?????
Putin may not care, but the Russian people care about their sons in body bags.
Don’t know who Brandon is or what the fuck you are banking about with that, but the pipeline isn’t the only thing Russia can be hit with. Just keep up the pressure and make it hurt every day Russia decides Ukraine belongs to it.
I think it could be counted as a NATO positive if/when: Russia 'staying' home and remembering how laborious it is to manage people who won't sit still and obey! (See: Soviet crash causes and cost.) Though I fear that is getting harder every day now that Putin has exposed himself to potential national 'backlash"! Where is God in all of this? Lord: We need you!
Perhaps the sanctioning of Russia by the U.S., its allies, and Ukraine itself could be so drastic that Russia actually has a 'flashback' to the history of loss and diminishing returns of trying to take and hold Afghanistan. (Are the Ukrainians as ruggedly stubborn and fierce as the Afghan Taliban?)
NATO, and every nation in Europe, along with the Biden administration, England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and every neighboring nation are worried and at risk of a Russian invasion.
Russia, under Putin, is not an ally of any country, except China.
And who exactly is arguing anything different???
Perhaps--IF we had bothered to place sanctions now as a deterrent instead of waiting and placing them as punishment.
I don't know about it, honestly. Maybe if sanctions are on as a deterrent on what basis do they come OFF? I don't have enough to consider the 'question.'
Perhaps when Russia retreats away from the border and stops all talk of invasion. And maybe leave the sanctions in place for a while anyways as a future deterrent.
If the sanctions put in place prior to entry, kept in place after a significant fall-back, would it demoralize Putin? A dangerous proposition?
Who cares?
As dangerous as what Putin is doing now?
I really don't know. It must suck to be in the armpit of a 'mad' Russian giant. Poor stuck Ukraine.
You wanna impose sanctions on a country for moving troops within their own borders?
Imagine the EU imposing a trade embargo on the US because we conducted hot weather drills near Laredo.
Imposing sanctions now gives him license to invade.
Sanctions after the fact will be really responsive to Ukrainians, I'm sure.
Excellent point.
That said, I need to drop this for consideration:
Apparently, Zelensky, through a CBS reporter I heard it said, feels that Russia and Putin are already negatively affecting the economy, the tourist industry, and daily functioning of Ukraine.
I can see that. But as you stated, sanctions can be mitigated, that is, have their thunder stolen if put in place improperly.
Be that as it may, we have zero grounds for sanctions right now.
I'm curious as to how Zelensky would answer the question "on what grounds do we impose sanctions?"
As of right now, Russian troops are on Russian soil. That's where they belong.
It is the words of a leader 'cracking' under the pressure of "rumors of war." President Zelensky is becoming keenly aware of changes incurring in his country under the stress-fracturing of people and nations scattering, pulling out, standing 'afar' off and leaving them to face what comes. I even heard mentioned that if Russia does not move in to Ukraine, there is a high probability they could 'strangle' and vex economics in Ukraine by "endless" forces resting on Russian soil in a 'ready' state.
It is enough to make a President who is working to build something, worried and paranoid. Zelensky would like not less than Russian forces 'unstacking' and going steadily 'home.'
Blah! It must be awful to be stuck in the 'armpit' of a musty Russian dictator 'tossing in his sleep' about dreams of "Soviet" glory!
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps? We cannot change the past, if we could Trump would never have made it out of Jeffrey Epstein Cat House.
Why is it that every Red Neck Cowboy from Texas has to blame Democrats for policy failures, when "Diaper Don" is the most destruction, treasonous POS that every held the office of POTUS.
Perhaps, if T-Rump Bone (I.Q. 45) wasn't an International Con Man/Crook, "Diaper Don," aka, "Stinky Pants" would be in prison now, and his Mafia connected Criminal Enterprise would be shut down.
Biden, does not act alone, unlike, "the self proclaimed" T-Rump Bone Head. Biden has a team of Military experts, an excellent Cabinet, and the top people in the Pentagon and the CIA working together to PREVENT a Nuclear War with Putin.
It is well past time for American to get on board or move to Russia if they like
tough, authoritarian dictatorship, so much.
And, the those FAKE wannabe, gun toting, play-acting soldiers might want to take their militia and fight Putin's Goons in the Ukraine, instead of threatening their fellow citizens with their treasonous act, like Jan 6th.
Have a nice day, "Perhaps."
Arm chair quarterback, sit on their took-as, slugging beer after beer, as they scream at the TV and criticize, criticize, criticize, despite never play in the game at any level.
But, they have manage to convince themselves that they are the smartest person in the room and spend much of their life telling others how to live, think, vote and what athletes, politicians, and much of the worlds inhabitants did wrong.
Welcome to the Club, Ronin2.
As I remember we did that in Afghanistan and it didn't turn out that well in the end.
Substitute Fascists for Al Qaeda; and yep pretty much the same.
Yeah, but I dont think we will have the issue of Islamic extremists making Ukraine home. The situation is actually not similar in the slightest now that I think about it. Pretty much everything about it is completely different, in what ways is Ukraine similar to Afghanistan (then or now)?
fund/arm an insurgency combined with economic sanctions hitting every aspect of the Russian economy.
When Russia invaded Afghanistan, the US provided funds and arms to the Mujahideen to keep the proxy war going. That's how it's similar. And my comment was directly aimed at this..
So an extremely basic similarity essentially describing just about every conflict since at least the American Revolution. Cool I guess.
It is working in Russia.
Putin, the demented Military genius, recently roundup several of his oligarchs, top military leaders, some of his closes bodyguards, when their failed attempted to poison.
Of course, Horse, Trump's idol had them immediately EXECUTED. Trump's to this day friends believes that "Putin is a military genius."
And, too think this nut job was voted in by Right Wing, Conservative Patriots that convinced themselves that they are the True Patriots and attacked the Capital Building, storming it chambers, did over two million dollars in vandalism, threaten to kill Senators, Congress Representatives, injured 130 Capital Police Officers with bottle, chains, clubs, etc. And beating a good man to death.
People, especially under educated, angry failures are easy pawns for the truly Evil Devil like Hitler, Putin, Trump, and, too, damn many Red Face, Red Necks still fighting the Civil War.
It is a sad tragic story, if it wasn't so infectious and deadly. Mobs are led by psychopaths who prey upon their fears.
2700 psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health doctors, counselors signed a letter and published in several top newspapers to warn the general public how insane, cruel, and liar Trump is, and has been for decades.
73 million agreed, 53 million for some strange reason believe "Diaper Don" was appointed by GOD, although GOD is not a registered voter.