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March 04, 2022 11:56 PM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 56 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“Foreign policy is really domestic policy with its hat on.”

–Hubert H. Humphrey

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56 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

  2. Guardian US: Trump’s private schedule for Jan. 6 (timestamped 11:22a) shows he knew before he started speaking at the Ellipse at 11:50a that he was to travel directly back to the White House after his speech.

        1. Using an image that falsely suggests a person is doing something that they are not actually doing is the first sign of misinformation, as the image clearly does not support the assumption and in fact disputes it. 

           

          The 79-year-old great-grandmother pictured wielding an AK-47 in preparation for an invasion from Russia was taught how to use the weapon by the far-right movement Azov — which has previously faced accusations that it is a neo-Nazi group. Circled: The group's logo features a Wolfsangel, one of the original symbols used by the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich in WWII

           

          These guys trained American neo nazis and we are gearing up to send them $16 billion dollars. Funny how Ukrainian nationals are  the largest donors to the Clinton Foundation…. I'm guessing there are plenty of avenues to skim the grift once the cash arrives… (I hear they are getting the band back together) wink

          And you seem to be goose stepping your way right into it…..

           

          1. That certainly is stretching, Negev. There is no dispute that Zelensky is an on the ground commander of his army.  He is ACTUALLY DOING IT, whether this photograph was taken yesterday or ten years ago.

            You are picking nits about the photo. I am not sure why.

              1. Not to make a big deal out of it like Putin is doing, but there are in fact neo-nazi elements in Ukraine, as well as in other Eastern European countries. Nationalism includes both savory and unsavory "patriots". But, here we probably have to consider Russian nationalists, who are certainly supporters of autocracy, if not nazi-adjacent,.

                There is a religious factor as well. The Orthodox Church is also involved in a power struggle between the Russian bishops and the Ukrainian.

              2. I think you meant bigotry agains Ukrainians…. but history will confirm Ukraine has a long past of Fascism and Ethnic Cleansing… and there is no doubt that the Azov Batallion are open Nazi sympathizers and playing an active role in the resistance primarily in the breakaway areas of Donetsk/Donbas regions, which speak Russian and were part of Russia since, oh, 1689 or so…

                Is this good reason for Russia to invade Ukraine? No. Do I agree with Putins actions? No. But I understand why he did it, Duh, he has been warning of this for 15 years, and it is certain that the west will have egg on its face because we 1)Won't fight the Russians 2) Won't bring Ukraine into NATO and 3) Will accept Russias land grab negotiations. The only problem is that we will throw billions of dollars at Ukrainian oligarchs that have been the fabric of a corrupt government since its inception, and the fat cat politicians here, and there (both R and D) will grift the public once again while you proudly donate to combat "Muh Russia". 

                You are being had.

                Ever wonder what happened to covid?

                 

                1. You are going to crying and complaining about the unfair treatment of Russia for the next 50 years.

                  See how quickly the world turned? See how the mock Putin for his covid precautions? Republicans made their bed with Putin and now we all will watch you get fucked in by Putin in that bed.

          2. "donors to the Clinton Foundation……" And exactly how is that relevant? Have you ever viewed the Clinton Foundation's IRS Form 990s on line. They are available; in direct contrast to any valid documentation for Trump's various activities, including his fake foundation.

            You forgot also to mention George Soros, the world wide "deep state" operated by the Jews, etc., since the far right wing regularly mentions those entities when talking about the Clinton Foundation.

            Really, dude? Are you worried about being "replaced?"

            1. Its relevant because the more money we give to Ukraine, the larger the Clinton Foundation donations come from Ukrainians. Put that into any political equation you don't adhere to and its evidence of corruption. 

              I am far from right wing. Just think for yourself for a moment. 

              1. "Oh no spooky Clinton man scare big pro Russia man and if your not scared you're not having tucker think for you"

                Suicide is an answer.

              2. I do think for myself, Negev. Which is reason #1 why I am a “frothing at the mouth and rabid” Never-Trumper. He is not a true conservative like Goldwater and Reagan. Trump has been a corrupt, grifting, con-man his entire adult life. There is ample documentation of that.

                And just how do you track the origin of donations to the Clinton Foundation? Are you an “insider,” a “mole?”

            2. "You forgot also to mention George Soros, the world wide "deep state" operated by the Jews, etc., since the far right wing regularly mentions those entities when talking about the Clinton Foundation."

              And let's not leave out the space laser that started the fires in California.

              Where they go one, they go all.

          3. Can you imagine how stunned Negev and the other Russuan shills are going to be when our Jewish space laser starts picking off those Russian tanks and trucks in that stalled convoy one by one?

            As they haul him off to the rubber room he will be sobbing:

             "But her e-mails.  Her e-mails!"

      2. There have been a few other photos and livestreams.  Do you doubt Zelensky is there in Ukraine?  Doubt he's dressing in combat gear?

        Or are you simply making a plea for careful, critical assessment of internet content and choosing to ONLY stress examples from sides you happen to oppose?

    1. A deeply considered, informative, frightening analysis of the strategic situation also in Vox.

      And then there’s Switzerland’s decision to freeze Russian assets. This really is unprecedented, and it surprised the heck out of people who closely follow financial matters. It shatters the image of Switzerland as the ultimate neutral actor. So this is all a huge deal and speaks to what a bad strategic move this was by Putin.

      Putin is screwed but, fingers-crossed, not a mad man that would become the ultimate suicide bomber, taking as many lives with him as possible.

  4. REMINDER: You know that global hero Zelensky?  Who refused to leave Ukraine as its president despite multiple assassination attempts and other threats from Putin?

    Well, it was that SAME Zelensky who Trump tried to blackmail into making up a fake investigation against Biden’s family.  Blackmail, that – by the way – was not just the source of Trump’s first impeachment but was also by threats to withhold the SAME Javelin missiles from Ukraine to defend against the SAME Russia that is two and a half years later now invading it.  An invasion that is being repelled by the same Javelin missiles that Trump was eventually forced not to use as blackmail material. 

    Trump was a FSB/KGB asset all along.

      1. Trump is a useful idiot for Putin and perhaps also a quiet Russian asset.

        For more, and a different story, do a browser inquiry regarding Trump’s ties with the New York City Mafia. There are authoritative works out there.

         

    3. Long before impeachment #1, during the 2016 campaign:

      The Trump campaign worked behind the scenes last week to make sure the new Republican platform won’t call for giving weapons to Ukraine to fight Russian and rebel forces, contradicting the view of almost all Republican foreign policy leaders in Washington.

    1. Apparently there is quite a bit of weaponry going in to Ukraine, much more than I expected. On the other hand, maybe it is okay for it to be hidden, or less public.

      I assume that intelligence and information is flowing in as well.

      1. Also an article on Yahoo News today about American military veterans quietly heading to Ukraine to be part of their foreign legion, to continue helping to train Ukrainian forces, etc.

    2. And now Mitt Romney is the Senator pushing the Administration to get the MIG jets held by NATO turned over to Ukraine. Can’t we have at least one Democratic Senator pushing the Biden Administration to do more?

      Harry Truman created the Truman Committee in WWII and it went after any waste & fraud it could find. It embarrassed the administration at times. But it also led to a better prosecution of the war.

      Bennet, Hickenlooper – step up and do your job. Sitting on your ass at this time is pathetic. (Maybe I missed something – has either done anything to help Ukraine, other than a “we’re with you” tweet?)

       

      Oh, and suggestion to get Poland, etc. to hand over the jets. Tell them the U.S. will station an equivalent number of fighter jets and U.S. Air Force personal in their country until the replacement jets are delivered. They would take that in a heartbeat.

      1. David, we know what you meant, and I agree that Dem Senators should be doing more to help Ukraine. 
        But the “click to edit” button is there for good reason. Unless you meant to say that the USAF “personal” in Ukraine will station more “fighter jest” in the country. 

      2. Poor David has to find some reason to attack Dems for everything that is wrong in the world.  Previously, senators and elected representatives would be supporting the president and his administration in global affairs.  Biden is actually doing the hard work of diplomacy and rogue senators and representatives are unwanted distractions.  This is just another bogus complaint by David to paint Democrats as ineffective which is an irrelevant argument.  So lame.

  8. Ok, here’s something that I think might get the oligarchs to replace Putin..

    Line up all their planes and yachts that we’ve grabbed. Then each day have a drawing and whichever boat/plane is drawn – blow it up on live TV.

    Watching their toys be destroyed, that will get their attention.

  10. Heather Cox-Richardson (just go subscribe, already!) reminds us that Trump and the Republican Party was trying to cut off military aid to Ukraine.

    In an appearance on Newsmax, Trump’s secretary of state John Bolton pushed back when the host suggested that the Trump administration was “pretty tough on Russia, in a lot of ways.” Bolton said that Trump “barely knew where Ukraine was” and repeatedly complained about Russian sanctions. Bolton said Trump should have sanctioned the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany, rather than letting it proceed, and concluded: “It’s just not accurate to say that Trump's behavior somehow deterred the Russians.”

    Still, the sudden attempt of the Republicans to rewrite history cannot erase the fact that every Republican in the House of Representatives voted against impeaching Trump when he withheld $391 million in aid for Ukraine that Congress had appropriated, offering to release it only on the condition that President Zelensky announced an investigation into Hunter Biden. That is, they were willing to look the other way as Trump weakened Ukraine in an attempt to rig the 2020 election by creating a scandal he hoped would sink his chief opponent.

    Democrats supported impeachment, though, and the case went to the Senate to be tried. And there, every single Republican senator except Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who voted to convict him for abuse of power, acquitted Trump of the charges stemming from his attempt to hamstring Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.

    Remember when Trump first got the nomination? Paul Manafort who represented pro-Russian interests in Ukraine, became campaign manager (for free!), and had the pro-Russia plank inserted into the Republican platform.

  11. I'm seeing some pro-Russian arguments coming from commentators on the left.

    They are arguing that NATO is the one at fault because of 14 years of something, something, something, and that NATO expansion would be direct threat to Russia, so Putin had no choice but to invade. (I didn't have the stomach to read the actual arguments.) At least Matt Taibbi has apologized for dis-believing Russia would actually attack.

    I think they are off-base because the BIG threat to Russia is the economic integration with Europe, and the military aspect is not actually a threat. I mean, are they arguing that NATO was getting ready to attack Russia? Why would they do that when the West is already winning the soft war? Ukraine was seeing its economic future being aligned with Europe.

    One aspect of the argument is probably true, in that Ukraine was building up its military capability – at least its defensive capability. Biden reversed the Republican Party's pro-Russian alignment, and shipped a billion dollars of aid over the course of the past year. Ukraine has a dispersed military, which has received a lot of defensive weaponry. Anti-tank, anti-aircraft, attack drones, etc.

    I can't remember where I read it, but drone development has advanced to the point where military convoys and mechanized columns are almost obsolete. The 40 mile traffic jam is probably due to mud season, bad Chinese-made tires, lack of fuel, and (I'm guessing) strategic drone strikes.

    1. The Ukrainians have their own domestic drone designs, including one that can carry a 3 kg payload; drop it; and fly back to base to reload. They also bought some highly sophisticated drones from Turkey that can carry a much larger payload. 

      (references: articles on Yahoo News)

    2. US military aid to Ukraine continued.  An advocacy group's summary of 2014-2021 moves said:

      Since hostilities broke out between Ukraine and Russia in 2014, the United States has provided $2.5 billion in security aid to Kyiv, with more than $400 million in the last year alone. U.S. security assistance has come in the form of training, equipment, and weaponry, including tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, night vision devices, sniper rifles, small arms, Javelin anti-tank missiles, high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, and Mark VI patrol boats. The United States has also provided secure communications, satellite imagery and analysis support, counter-battery radars, and equipment to support military medical treatment and combat evacuation procedures. While these weapon systems and equipment increased the warfighting capabilities of Ukraine’s security forces, they failed to meaningfully alter the balance of power between Ukraine and the Russian-backed separatists or bring an end to hostilities. They also failed to stop Russian interference in Ukraine, ranging from direct military aid to influence operations and cyber-attacks.

      As for Ukrainian drones — US supply has been mainly intelligence gathering drones.  The few with attack capabilities have come from buying Turkish drones — including a new purchase in the past few months.

       

  12. Pfruit may be stuck in traffic. ~1000 trucks (only 100 of which are commercial”big rigs” ) are massing at a speedway outside of DC. They’re not quite sure what they’re  protesting anymore…it used to be vaccine mandates, which have mostly expired due to the success of the vaccination program, and many seem to be motivated by a generalized hatred of President Biden. They hung out in Maryland for a while.

    They seem to be communicating on Rumble. Current plan is for the convoy to “take two laps” around the DC beltway.

    The Qrazypants Qaucus is generating rumors, too – using the convoy publicity to spread this:

    . . . conspiracy theory, which is baseless and has roots in QAnon mythology, alleges that Trump and Putin are secretly working together to stop bioweapons from being made by Dr. Anthony Fauci in Ukraine and that shelling in Ukraine has targeted the secret laboratories.

    Colorado is probably represented, unfortunately. 

    The truckers of the “People’s Convoy” are still planning to create a nuisance in the DC area. Many are armed, and planning to demonstrate contempt for the DC laws against open carry. One said he plans to drive his truck into the Capitol. The National Guard and DC police have been planning to limit the negative impacts of this protest for months…unlike with the former guy. 

    No word on how these “patriots” will protest against Putin’s invasion of a peaceful ally, Ukraine.  They’re probably all promoting the same Russian-generated “denazification” talking points Negev rolled out for us yesterday. 

    1. Fer shure, fer shure . . .

      Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck.
      You gotta copy on me, Pig Pen
      C’mon? Ah, yeah, 10-4, Pig Pen
      Fer shure, fer shure. By golly
      It’s clean clear to Flag Town
      C’mon. Yeah, that’s a big 10-4 there
      Pig Pen, yeah, we definitely got the front door
      Good buddy. Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy

      . . . ain’t no fun like gen-you-wine trucker road-trip fun, fer near on 50 years! It’s an eighteen-wheeler redneck Mardi Gras!

      . . . fer shure, fer shure!

      1. "Let them truckers roll, ten-four good buddy….."

        That was a relevant song for its time (1973-74).

        Look for another C.W. McCall song about truckers losing their brakes, going down the west side of Wolf Creek Pass, with a load of chickens. It's hilarious. 

    1. Credit where credit is due for that Bonespurs Military Academy stable geniosity outside-the-box military strategery thinkin’ . . .

      . . . I mean, there’s one that DavidT hadn’t even yet suggested!?!!

      Cadet Bonespurs has gotta’ be constantly askin’ himself why his BFFladimir even had to invade Ukraine, when all he really needed was a map and a magic sharpie??!

       

  14. Fictional politics, anyone?

    AppleTV has an incredible version of “The Tragedy of Macbeth”.

    The cast, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, give chilling, breathtaking performances.  The cinematography in stark black and white fits the content perfectly. They didn’t try to make the multiracial ensemble cast speak in antique British or Scottish accents – so Washington’s Brooklyn growl fits his take on the murderous thane perfectly. Of course, he excels at playing tragic, flawed and deteriorating heroes.
    And of course, Shakespeare’s gorgeous, measured prose rings as true and clear now as it ever did. I’ve loved this play since I was nine. ( OK, I was a weird little kid).

    I would definitely use this version to teach Shakespeare to high school students.

    I think that Shakespeare, whoever he or she was, would have understood our times well.

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