Usually I write a Memorial Day post honoring the men and women who have sacrificed so much to keep our country safe. But this year is different. This year I want to write about those in our country who are so blinded by anger that they do not see the possible consequences of their actions. Because they do not hold this country in their hearts as did those whom this Memorial Day honors.
I speak of the segment of our population who is so angered by the death and destruction in Gaza that they put this above all else. In my paper today there was an article which I want to share with you.
I understand that for immigrants to the United States there is always the pull of their home country or region. I understand that many have left loved ones behind. I understand that they worry about them. I understand they grieve their loss. However, blaming President Biden for not stopping the Israeli actions in Gaza will not help. It is counterproductive to the solution to this tragedy. Enabling Donald Trump to return to the oval office by either voting for him, voting for a third candidate or not voting at all will not help the people of Gaza. Nor will it help you. Because let us be clear, Donald Trump is no friend of the Muslim population. He made that very clear in the past. Donald Trump is only a friend to himself.
What you risk is not just returning a man to the White House who will try to purge the United States of all immigrants but you risk alienating those who opposed his draconian policies in the past. They will hold you partly responsible for whatever he does. Because you acted out of anger against the country that has taken you in you show that you care little for your fellow citizens. You also act without thought for the fact that you may not be apprised of all that is going on behind closed doors.
Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.
On this Memorial Day remember those who stood up for our country. They are deserving of all of our respect.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Salam says he intends to cause the Democratic Party to become "a pro-Palestinian party against the occupation". That is, he intends to become an anti-Israeli agitator, a person whose profession it is to support Hamas against Israel among the American electorate. The article is not clear on whether or not the professor is himself an American citizen. But it does seem clear enough that he intends to be politicking on behalf of Hamas through this election and the next, i.e. long term.
So, I'd say you have correctly identified his allegiance as other than American.
There is word that Poland and the Baltic countries are considering putting troops in Ukraine if the Russians achieve a strategic breakthrough of the frontlines. They are that concerned that they would be next.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is actually true or not. Or if it is an effort to force the hands of Germany and the US into letting Ukraine use their weapons on Russian territory. Sweden has said it is okay to use their weapons, but I don't know that they are long enough range to be significant.
It seems as if Russian S-400 systems have some difficulty shooting down ATACMS missiles. Kind of makes them a waste of money for countries like Turkey that bought some...
It also appears that Russia has reneged on a deal to sell two of the systems to India. Probably not such a bad outcome for India.
ReplyDelete"Sweden has said it is okay to use their weapons [across
the border into Russia]"
Along with the Brits, who've said the same.
Coincidentally, Ukraine has announced that French "military instructors" will soon be permitted to "visit" Ukrainian training centers with an eye towards placing said French instructers in Ukraine to help train Ukrainian forces in Ukraine. Reuters Presumably this announcement was approved by the French government. (It has already been vehemently denounced by representatives of the Russian government.)
I think the recent leaks from within the Biden administration about the high-level consideration being given to allowing the use of American weapons against Russian targets are merely a prelude to the eventual announcement of a decision that Biden has already made. I hope I'm right on that, and that the delay is not too long in resolving itself.
"It also appears that Russia has reneged on a deal to sell two
of the [S-400] systems to India."
Officially, the Russians have merely "delayed" the delivery a couple of years, until sometime in 2026. My guess is their defense industrial production isn't performing as well as they've been publicly claiming. (Maybe this has something to do with the placement of a technocrat with economics credentials at the top of the Russian Department of Defense.)
ReplyDelete"'We support Ukraine and we don't want escalation, that
hasn't changed,' French President Emmanuel Macron said at
a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
in Meseberg, Germany.
"'We think we should allow them to neutralise military sites
from which missiles are fired, military sites from which
Ukraine is attacked, but we shouldn't allow them to hit other
targets in Russia and civilian or other military sites in Russia.'"
Reuters
Predictably, the Russians have denounced this policy change.
(The Ukrainians will, no doubt continue to use their Ukrainian-made drones to expand the target list beyond the restrictions imposed by their allied military suppliers. Personally, I support Ukraine's use of American and allied weapons against any and all Russian military targets wherever located.)
ReplyDeleteI should have expanded that quote ↑↑. Scholz agreed with Macron:
"Scholz said he agreed with Macron and that as long as
Ukraine respected the conditions given by countries that
supplied the weapons, including the United States, and
international law, it was allowed to defend itself.
"‛Ukraine has every possibility under international law for
what it is doing. That has to be said explicitly,’ Scholz said.
‛I find it strange when some people argue that it should not be
allowed to defend itself and take measures that are suitable
for this.’"
I also believe Ukraine has the right to defend itself, even if the target is on Russian territory.
ReplyDeleteThe troops they are massing on the border with the Sumy region should be fair game even if they are on Russian territory.
The troops Russia is massing on the border with Sumy.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI would go further. I'm okay with making hits on Russian military infrastructure, trains, oil facilities, radar installations, air bases, etc.
Yup.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I just noticed...no italics.
As someone pointed out in a comments section on one of the vlogs I watch limiting military operations to within borders is not a winning strategy. Yes, I can see how it would be difficult to follow attackers into another country's territory like the Taliban into Pakistan for example while we were fighting in Afghanistan. But in this case it is Russia who is the attacker so their territory should not be a safe haven for them.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is quoted in Russian media saying that China could arrange cease-fire discussions between Russia and Ukraine, "based on realities on the ground", meaning pre-conditioned on Ukraine accepting Russia's control over the land it's already seized from Ukraine. Reuters
This suggestion will go nowhere, of course. The Ukrainians aren't yet interested in surrendering land to Russia in exchange for a temporary "cease-fire" in place. But I find it interesting that the Kremlin is still pushing that idea.
ReplyDeleteIn what is being billed as a "real" leak this time, Politico is reporting that the Biden administration "secretly" approved limited Ukrainian use of American munitions into Russia solely in defense of the Kharkiv region, and against specified types of targets. This was probably done a few days ago--no time is specified in connection with the leak (they allow the active date of the permission has perhaps not yet occurred).
Further news on this is probably gonna come soon.
Guilty!
ReplyDeleteThey found Trump guilty on all counts.
ReplyDeleteS'pose we'll see a distress flag flying over Alito's house again? (I'd bet agin it, but ya never know with these people.)
ReplyDeleteJoe Manchin has just re-registered his political party affiliation in West Virginia. He's registered as an independent. (It's not clear if he'll 'caucus' with the Republicans or continue to 'caucus' with the Democrats, a designation that counts towards getting 'majority party' status. Yesterday the Democrats had a 51-49 lead in the head count over the Republicans, including 48 Democrats (one of whom was Manchin) and 3 independents.)
Even if Manchin switches his affiliation to the Republicans that'll be 50-50 tie, with the Democrats retaining majority stature because of Veep Harris having a tie-breaker vote in case of ties.
Tomorrow, 1st of June, is the West Virginia deadline for filing for state-wide elections, fueling speculation that Manchin may run for governor as an independent.
Further news on this is probably gonna come soon.
ReplyDeleteYup. The White House has confirmed the leak. One assumes it will include all areas that could impact Kharkiv.
We'll see what happens when Russia just moves down the border a bit from Kharkiv and tries the same thing.
Manchin has always been a wildcard.
ReplyDeleteIn your article a comparison is made between the response to Covid and the response in helping Ukraine. It is always easier to get money from people who are directly affected by something, not so much if it is indirectly. And until Russia invades one of their countries it is only indirectly that they are affected.
ReplyDeleteUkraine has hit the Russian ferries in the Kerch Strait. Word is that at least one suffered significant damage. This was the larger one.
ReplyDeleteRussia is working fast and furiously to get the railroad line finished before Ukraine severs the Kerch bridge.
ReplyDelete"We'll see what happens when Russia just moves down the
border a bit from Kharkiv and tries the same thing."
The Biden administration has been consistently pursuing an 'incrementalist' policy in regards to arming Ukraine, hoping to not spark a backlash from the Kremlin. They've gotten other (non-nuclear) nations to go first on a lot of moves. If they can get the Russians to "just move down the border a bit" a corresponding Ukrainian move will be the incremental move the Biden administration's been fishing for all along.
"Manchin has always been a wildcard."
Manchin has always been a Republican.
ReplyDeleteHeadline: Trump supporters try to doxx jurors and post violent
threats after his conviction
NBCNews
It sounds like Germany has also given the OK for Ukraine to use its arms on Russian territory.
ReplyDeleteTrump supporters try to doxx jurors and post violent
ReplyDeletethreats after his conviction
I believe it was Andrew McCabe who was on CNN the other day advising the jurors in the Trump case to maintain their anonymity as long as possible. He was also warning about July 11, the day Trump will be sentenced. The verdict came quickly and there was no time for Trump's more violent supporters to have anything prepared, but they will have that time before the July 11th sentencing.
Btw, I bought "The Demon of Unrest" by Erik Larson. It is about the period leading up to our Civil War. I thought it might be a timely read. I just started it.
ReplyDelete"It sounds like Germany has also given the OK for Ukraine
to use its arms on Russian territory."
Actually, that happened several days ago. See my two posts of Wednesday, May 29 above ↑↑.
Curiously, several western news organizations seem to have missed it until late Friday/early Saturday.
ReplyDeleteChinese diplomats are getting fed up with listening to their foreign counterparts and contacts trying to swing China away from its barely covert support of Russian in this war and have officially announced that henceforth it will be "hard to meet" for discussions of peace between Ukraine and Russia. AssociatedPress
You're right. I had forgotten about your post regarding Germany. You are always a step ahead of me.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the Trump election campaign is raking in contributions from smaller donors after his conviction.
ReplyDeleteA sad commentary on some American citizens.
That was to be expected.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't make it any less disappointing.
It seems that Russia has lost its only aircraft carrier. It was in drydock for repairs and there were 2 fires on board, which badly damaged the ship, making it no longer usable.
ReplyDeleteRussia has also run into some difficulty with their offensive in Kharkiv. They seem to be having logistical problems.
ReplyDelete"They seem to be having logistical problems."
I've been wondering if our intelligence assessments of Russia's economy are accurate. I keep remembering the supposed 'missile gap' of the Cold War, the Soviets' military hardware advantage over the Western forces. Turns out in the end that they didn't have a nuclear weapons advantage after all.
I'm wondering if their conversion of their current economy to a war economy has similarly overestimated.
I've been wondering if our intelligence assessments of Russia's economy are accurate.
ReplyDeleteMy reference to Russia's logistical problems around Kharkiv was alluding to Ukraine's ability to strike on Russian territory in that region. They have been doing a good job of messing with Russia's supply chain there. Not so much, yet, in other areas.
But as you mention the Russia economy you may find this interesting. I have linked to him before as you may remember. It is long but you might find it pertinent to what you were speculating.
The Ukrainians have hit, perhaps destroyed, an SU-57 "stealth" fighter/bomber...
ReplyDeleteI saw that. They are doing a good job of taking the war home to Russia.
Btw, did you see that the political right parties seem to be doing well in the European elections? Not good news. It makes it even more critical for us to defeat our own far right.
ReplyDeleteIn that vlog I linked to at around 35:00 he talks about problems with Russian agriculture. It is not often that we hear about what climate change looks like in Russia. But this is a sample.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteRussia's aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, had been in "retrofit" for seven years following its brief deployment to Syria (graced by a standing tugboat escort to get her there and back). There was no indication the "retrofit" was progressing, nor was there any suggestion of a date to finish. There was no end in sight.
There was also no captain or crew assigned to the ship; hasn't been since 2023. link
Lotta people had been expecting the Russians to eventually announce that she was being decommissioned; instead they announced that she'd been destroyed by fire(s), plural.
This may simply be new Defense Minister Belousov's economic credentials showing through in a workaround of a sclerotic military system in place.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSaw the reports on elections for the European Parliament. I also see that Macron has called for new elections in France as a response to the Parliamentary returns at the E.U. level. He seems to think he can 'head off' further political inroads by the hard-right with a show of strength of his own.
We'll have to wait and see if it works.
I'll look later at that vlog you linked to. I kept the link.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Blogger filtered out your comments regarding the Admiral Kuznetsov as spam. I resurrected the first one.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI've been probing the workings of the bot that's doing the filtering. I've not learned much.
For some reason this one wouldn't publish. I will copy and paste it.
ReplyDeleteThat Russian carrier has caught fire in dry dock before. It has a very troubled history. During its deployments it's customarily accompanied by tugboats for when it almost inevitably breaks down at sea. Its last deployment to Syria included a tug boat escort both ways, and ended with it being dragged back to drydock at the end of its deployment. They'll decide to scrap it one of these days, but it's hard to say when that'll finally happen.
Lee C. - USA
Scrapping it would be the smart thing to do. So they probably won't.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteUkraine will shortly have more airplanes than qualified pilots. They'll be training up more pilots of course. In the meantime, they're considering storing their excess at allied airfields outside Ukraine. Some of the will be reserves to replace planes taken out of service by wear and combat (assuming the pilot outlives his airplane), some will be used train Ukrainian pilots, some will be merely waiting for an increase in the number of Ukrainian pilots, some will be used for parts (they're all 'used' aircraft after all).
Predictably, the Russians are not happy 'bout this.
AssociatedPress
________________________________
Changing subjects:
Russia has begun recruiting and using female convicts to fill out the ranks of the Russian military in Ukraine. NYT
________________________________
The Biden administration has lifted a long-standing prohibition on the Azov Brigade using American weapons. WaPo
Putin has sent a flotilla of Russian warships over to Cuba, apparently sending a message to, well, us. Truly a waste of fuel. We know they have them. We know they can strike the US. They know that we would strike back. So, unless they are going to use them, which would be a serious mistake, why bother? I suppose it is more for domestic consumption. Putin had to answer in some way for Biden allowing the Ukrainians to use US weapons on Russian soil.
ReplyDeleteThe Russians may want to count their ships when they leave to make sure they all return. It might be tempting for some in the Russian Navy to jump ship, so to speak.
ReplyDelete"Why bother?"
Get 'em outta firing range of the Ukrainians perhaps?
Lol!
ReplyDeleteYes, I can see where they may be afraid of the Ukrainians.
What Ukraine has been doing with the new ammunition and permission to strike across the border from Kharkiv. Russia seems to have been caught lingering too long in an area they thought was safe.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI read that the U.S.A. is going to send another Patriot system to Ukraine. I also read a bunch of talk 'bout them being in short supply. I'm wondering why I'm not also reading of talk 'bout quickly increasing the supply?
Maybe that is in the works.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Maybe that is in the works."
Just this morning the House passed an overtly partisan annual Defense spending bill, loaded to the rim with right-winger policy riders. 217 to 199. Three Republicans voted against it. No Democrats supported it. I was unable to discover any provisions to significantly increase the production of Patriot missile systems or even to boost production of anti-missiles for the systems that already exist out there.
There now I was forgetting about the House being stuffed full of Republican elected officials whose main purpose is to further their own, and Trump's, careers. Silly of me.
ReplyDeleteRussian exporters are warning that there will be a 10% - 25% drop in exports and imports within the next 6 months because of their inability to trade in dollars and euros.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteEconomic sanctions have been spectacularly unsuccessful against Russia so far. Perhaps this round will prove to be different, but I ain't holdin' my breath on that.
I am kinda surprised that Putin went so far as to be clear in his demands for a negotiated peace. (Ukraine surrenders land the Russians haven't been able to seize on the battlefield). Usually Putin is careful to not specify his conditions for a negotiated peace.
It sounds like there may be around 400 Russian soldiers trapped in a factory in Vovchansk. Ukraine has cut off access to the factory, including the drones that had been supplying them.
ReplyDeleteKind of sounds like Azovstal Steel plant in reverse.
ReplyDelete"Kind of sounds like Azovstal Steel plant in reverse."
Major difference seems to be that the Russian defenders are now surrendering in packs of a dozen at a time. They don't seem much inclined to hold out in a brave prolonged defense.
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Zelenskyy has pronounced the Bürgenstock, Switzerland 'peace summit' a "success". Maybe that's marginally true. This in spite of its notable failures.
There is talk that Putin's recent ultimatum, essentially that Ukraine withdraw from further portions of Ukraine and cede the land to Russia, had the effect of solidifying support for the Ukrainian peace proposal and added at least of couple of votes to the tally in support of the final communiqué. I suppose that might be considered a limited success. (The vote was somewhere between 78 and 84 out of 100 or maybe 101 participants--media accounts seem to differ on the numbers--the most common accounting seems to be 80 out of 100. Not exactly an overwhelming show of international support in my book, whatever the exact count; especially considering that Brazil, India, and South Africa were among those not voting in favor of the final communiqué. And, of course, China didn't even bother to show up.)
ReplyDeleteFirst debate between Biden and Trump comes in just one week.
If there's a "senior moment" arises during the ninety minutes they're scheduled to be on stage I'd guess it's more likely that Trump is the victim rather than Biden. (That's IF such a moment arises.)
Week and a day and we'll how well I predicted that one.
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Post Script: Just checked the TV guide to make sure I was going to be able to pick up the debate over the air. I noticed that NBC, CBS, and ABC are setting aside two hours to cover the 90 minute debate. The local Fox broadcasting affiliate is only scheduled 90 minutes for the debate itself, and then they've got a 30 minute slug labeled "local programs"; they're not playing up Trump's first great chance to embarrass "Sleepy Joe" Biden before a national audience. Wonder why that is?
I am trying to decide if I will watch or not. It 's s long time to sit through a possible slugfest.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Russia is not safe for some returning soldiers. One was found murdered with an ax in his back with a note attached, "Thanks for the SMO". At least according to one source.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Ukraine has launched a massive drone attack on Russian oil facilities and military bases.
Apparently the Trump campaign is raking in a lot of contributions since his conviction. As they say, "a fool and their money is soon parted".
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Also, Ukraine has launched a massive drone attack on
Russian oil facilities and military bases."
The Biden administration has formally removed the original territorial restrictions on using American weapons across the border into Russia (retaining the requirement that they be directed at 'military' targets in use against Ukraine--which Ukraine interprets broadly enough to include Russian oil facilities pretty much anywhere in Russia.)
Also, the Biden administration has redirected Patriot and NASAM missile exports intended for other American allies to the support of Ukraine. It's not quite the increase in production that I've been looking for (Lee C. @ Thu Jun 13, 05:04 am ↑↑). But it'll help. And it doesn't require coöperation from the Republican House. (No word on how long this diversion will continue; I s'pose that depends on whether Biden wins in November.)
"Apparently the Trump campaign is raking in a lot of
contributions since his conviction."
Especially large denomination contributions. It would seem that reactionary billionaires are not particularly fond of seeing rich white men getting prosecuted for white collar crimes. They wish to register their disapproval.
Timothy Mellon donated $50 million. I think that is in addition to an earlier $25 million.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, Trump Media has lost half its value. I wonder who will prove prescient? The billionaires or the stock pickers?
ReplyDelete"Timothy Mellon donated [$75] million."
Wonder what skeletons he's got in his white collar criminal closet that's worth $75 million to him?
It looks like there was another terror attack in Russia. Well, there were actually two attacks in Dagestan, but they appear to have been coordinated.
ReplyDeleteLast year we couldn't buy a drop of rain, but this year it seems like it is every other day. I am mowing my grass twice a week, every 4 or 5 days. I think I will go do that tonight before it gets too dark. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"It looks like there was another terror attack in Russia."
Back when Putin was threatening to arm the 'enemies' of 'the West', America and Britain especially, I thought about mentioning that most of those enemies would happily strike at Russia as well. And Russia would be easier to get to.
But I wasn't expecting a spectacular strike against Russia to occur so quickly. Wish I'd mentioned it now.
It also demonstrates the problem of taking on too many enemies at once--a problem Russia has had experience with from the other side, as when Nazi Germany opened Operation Barbarossa against against Russia on the heels of the German/Russian nonaggression pact. Putin's Russia ought to know that its 'allies' are temporary at best.
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"Ukraine says satellite pictures show the destruction of a
Russian warehouse used to launch Iranian-made drones and
to train cadets.
"The photos - posted by Ukraine's Navy - follow reports of a
massive explosion near a Russian airfield in the southern
region of Krasnodar.
"Moscow has yet to comment on the reports, but did say it
has shot down a number of drones in the region overnight on
Friday.
"Navy officials in Kyiv said a number of training instructors
and cadets learning to operate the Iranian-made Shahed
drones were killed by the attack, which they said happened
on Friday night."
BBC
I have been wondering when Russia's other enemies would realize they may be stretched thin.
ReplyDeleteBut it is not just Russia. It sounds like France, Germany and the US have stooped various terror plots recently.
I know that pulling out of Afgahnistan has allowed us to support Ukraine more readily, but it may cause other problems.
May be that Iranians discover that helping Russia comes at a cost.
ReplyDeleteNot only has Russia's offensive in the Kharkiv region stalled but their soldiers seem to be attempting to retreat on their own in places. A Chechen unit has been sent to act as a blocking unit to prevent desertions. So Ukraine has been targeting the Chechens to help the deserters, well, desert.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe Biden administration has publicly announced (as of yesterday) that Biden will veto the House's Trumpkan/Republican military spending bill (Lee C. @ Fri Jun 14, 02:28 pm ↑↑) for the next fiscal year--if it ever gets to him. So, it's likely dead in the water as things now stand, with the action shifting to follow what Chuck Schumer thinks he can get through the Senate. Politico
ReplyDeleteThis should have been predictable. The Kremlin is blaming Ukraine and "the collective West" for orchestrating the recent terrorist activity in Dagestan (probably connected to the Islamic State (IS) according to the BBC.)
________________________________
"Ukraine has been targeting the Chechens…"
Possible this could, potentially, lead to Chechen deserters.
The Kremlin is blaming Ukraine and "the collective West" for orchestrating the recent terrorist activity in Dagestan (probably connected to the Islamic State (IS) according to the BBC.)
ReplyDeleteThey might find that hard to do. Two of the attackers were sons of a Secretary of the United Russian Party. Putin's party.
Ukraine attacked a Russian military base using ATACMS cluster munitions. The Russians shot down at least one of them close to a nearby beach which was occupied by Russian tourists. There were some casualties.
ReplyDeleteVacationing in occupied territory during a war is not the smartest thing to do.
ReplyDelete"Two of the attackers were sons of a Secretary of
the United Russian Party."
Might prove hard to get that information disseminated in Russia.
Word came down today about another eighty odd news sources being banned across Russia. Mostly European news sources that might likely be believable to Russian citizens.
"Vacationing in occupied territory during a war is not
the smartest thing to do."
Might prove hard to disseminate that information in Russia as well.
I think Russian bloggers have been talking about the two sons being implicated. Here's a Politico article on it.
ReplyDeleteMight prove hard to disseminate that information in Russia as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are none so blind as those who will not see.
ReplyDelete"Russian bloggers have been talking about the two sons
being implicated."
Seems you're out ahead a' me.
ReplyDelete"THE HAGUE, June 25 (Reuters) - The International Criminal
Court issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former
Russian defence minister, and leading Russian general Valery
Gerasimov on Tuesday for alleged crimes committed during
Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
***
"The Hague-based court said Shoigu and Gerasimov were
suspected of having committed war crimes and crimes against
humanity for directing attacks against civilians and civilian
objects in Ukraine.
"Judges had found there were 'reasonable grounds to believe
that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes
carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian
electric infrastructure' between Oct. 10, 2022 and at least
March 9, 2023, the ICC said in a press release."
ReplyDeleteI've been quick 'nuff to make mention when the Russians sack an important military official. Probably oughtta at least acknowledge the very public sacking of Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Yuriy Sodol, commander of Ukraine's Joint Forces Command (until he was removed from that position), and still in command of Ukraine's ground forces in northeastern Ukraine (at least for the moment). Brief outline of the situation appears in the WashingtonPost
Both Sodol and Syrsky are not well liked among the soldiers of the Ukrainian military. Some would like nothing better to testify against Sodol in court.
ReplyDeleteWhile I can't say about these two Generals there is some speculation that there are Russian spies among the Ukrainian military. There were too many instances of accurate targeting of Patriot launchers and HIMARS by Russia to be a coincidence.
ReplyDeleteDebate night.
There are hints in the press that it may indeed be "a possible slugfest".
I may watch for the entertainment value alone. If it isn't too long.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBiden opened with a voice that sounds like a raspy whisper. Not a good beginning.
Biden is not having a good night. The only thing that may save him is Trump's rants and lies.
ReplyDeleteBoth seem to be highlighting the worst aspects of themselves.
Oy. Biden may not be able to talk but Trump is doing a comedy act.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Trump is doing a comedy act."
Second commercial break. I think they're getting ready for closing statements. (Trump gets the final word.)
The comedy escaped my view. Trump was simply lying as fast as he can speak. Unrestrained hyperbole and unfounded charges streamed as fast as he could speak. (And he's a native New Yorker; he can talk fast.)
Problem is, looks like it might be effective. Biden seemed almost overwhelmed by the sheer volume and pressure per square second of that unrelenting stream of bullshit. (Biden did a little better in the second half of the debate, but not enough to do him any great benefit.)
Sounds like panic is setting in over Biden's performance among the talking heads.
ReplyDeleteTrump's over the top lies and down right buffoonary are what was comedic. He's an idiot.
The debate did not change my mind on who I will vote for. It is a poor choice we have, but Biden has forgotten more than Trump will ever know about governing. I believe that Biden will surround himself with capable people who support American democry who are also very capable of governing. Trump will not. I will still vote for Biden.
ReplyDelete"I believe that Biden will surround himself with capable
people who support American democry who are also very
capable of governing."
Personally, I think Biden himself is still capable of governing; another poor public performance doesn't change that. I've watched him a lotta years. And I've seen stumbling performances from him before. Shining on stage has never been his strong suite as a politician; he does have other talents. Occasionally he gets lucky and shines a little bit. He needed to get lucky tonight. Didn't happen.
I agree that Biden at this time is capable of governing, despite any appearance to the contrary. It is the future I refer to and where people have some concern, given
ReplyDeletehow old he would be at the end of a second term.
Trump has never been capable of governing any country that would be pleasant to live in.
It is amazing how Trump was able to accuse Biden of doing and being what Trump actually is with a straight face.
ReplyDeleteThe morning news seems full of speculative headlines about Biden dropping out, Biden being 'replaced', potential 'other' Democratic candidate prospects.
They need to start figuring otherwise, like how Biden's gonna recover from his poor performance last night. It's gonna be Biden and Trump on the final tickets. One bad debate performance ain't gonna change that.
"It is amazing how Trump was able to accuse Biden of doing and being
what Trump actually is with a straight face."
That's been a Trump tactic since he was studying under the infamous Roy Cohen back in the early 1970s. He's got it down by much practice. It works for 'im.
Biden's coming out swinging today. If he had talked this way last night he would have won handily.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"If he had talked this way last night…"
I personally judged Biden to have been 'over-prepped' last night. (It happens, they're almost force-fed so much stuff in debate prep that they're later unable to unsort it for use in the debate. Then they freeze up, knowing the answer's in there, but unable to find and unpack it on demand. It's often just a matter of timing ones prep and the debate.)
But, no matter what caused it, he shuffled out on stage doing an old man's walk. So his poor performance will get blamed on his age.
ReplyDeleteTrump and his Trumpkins got another piece of good news today.
"WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor
of a former police officer who is seeking to throw out an
obstruction charge for joining the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
"The justices in a 6-3 vote on nonideological lines handed a
win to defendant Joseph Fischer, who is among hundreds of
Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Donald Trump
— who have been charged with obstructing an official
proceeding over the effort to prevent Congress' certification of
President Joe Biden’s election victory.
"The court concluded that the law, enacted in 2002 as part of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act after the Enron accounting scandal,
was only intended to apply to more limited circumstances
involving forms of evidence tampering, not the much broader
array of situations that prosecutors had claimed it covered.
"The provision targets anyone who 'obstructs, influences, or
impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so,' but
the court determined that its scope is limited by a preceding
sentence in the statute referring to altering or destroying
records."
NBCNews
SCOTUS rules on the immunity case Monday.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge one.
Many people are calling for Biden to withdaw.
ReplyDeleteFor me as a voter it doesn't matter who is the democratic candidate, they will have my vote. I will never vote for Trump. The only way I would vote for him is if he were running against Vladimir Putin.
Even half a Biden is better than a whole Trump.
I also trust Biden's team as backup.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Many people are calling for Biden to withdaw."
None of them seem to have a replacement to propose. Biden may not have been much loved, but he had spent a lot of time making himself 'acceptable' to the broad Democratic coalition, gathered in at least grudging acceptance from even the edgiest factions. Nobody else has put in that work.
So, who they got in mind for Biden's replacement? They got nobody in mind; they pissed their pants and now they're whining. They need to get over it and get to work on how to recover from this setback. Trump lost every debate to Hillary and won the electoral college anyway.
Biden had a bad night (at a very bad time). He's had bad nights before. Get over it; get on with it. Trump's still out there.