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March 16, 2022 07:01 AM UTC

Wednesday Open Thread

  • 41 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“Politics is the art of controlling your environment.”

–Hunter S. Thompson

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41 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

  1. Evil exist in the world. We are watching it on a massive scale. President Biden is unwilling to confront Russian evil. Biden lacks the cognitive ability to process war time decisions. It is time that Biden step aside and let VP Harris to take control. 

    Let’s give the girl a chance, we may be surprised.

        2. You know what Biden and Harris won't do?   Publicly throw the US Intel apparatus under the bus by publicly siding with Putin like TFG did in Helsinki, 2018.  Ain't that right Rublesteltskin?  

          Man, you have so many nicknames you can't change them to sockpuppet fast enough.

        3. Richard Russo pegs it:

          "One of the problems with screaming “How could you be so stupid?” at people who behave stupidly is that we too often think of the question as rhetorical when it isn’t…"

           

    2. The broad swaths of expertise expand … to be taken seriously, this comment would require theology/philosophy ("what is evil"), probably international relations ("massive scale"), psychology or psychiatry ("Biden is unwilling" "lacks cognitive ability"), and leadership assessments. 

      So, do enlighten us … how DO you manage to find the time to be proficient in so many fields?

        2. Oh, my!…that is some weak sauce MC.

          They must REALLY keep you in the dark and feed you bullshit. First time your user name has been pertinent, to date.

          1. First time your user name has been pertinent, to date.

             

            Which one?  The user name he's using today, or his regular one?  Because, in the interests of humanity, this situation will hopefully not go Pear-Shaped.

  2. If you can take your eyes of Ukraine for a few minutes: "China has a fateful choice to make"

    "The Ukraine war, Covid, and the real estate bust herald a crossroads for the world's biggest nation."

    “The old order is swiftly disintegrating, and strongman politics is again ascendant among the world’s great powers,” wrote Mr. Zheng of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. “Countries are brimming with ambition, like tigers eyeing their prey, keen to find every opportunity among the ruins of the old order.”

    What was the last time countries were “brimming with ambition, like tigers eyeing their prey, keen to find every opportunity among the ruins of the old order”? The 1930s. The “old order” of the time was the global power of the U.S., Britain, and France. And the tigers in question were Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan — nations brimming with a mix of pride in their supposed superiority and resentment over past humiliations, eager to claim their place in the sun.

    We all know how that movie ended.

     

  3. I'm starting to lose hope that we will ever know what the number 1 political story in Colorado was in 2021.  Will this be the day we find out.

  4. Good read on Logistics from Jonathon V. Last at the Bulwark "Russia's Logistical Nightmare Will Keep Getting Worse – They are short on both money and time."

    Logistics are not an easy problem to fix.

    Because it is not normally the case that an army has tons of spare materiel sitting around the yard back home and that they just sort of, you know, forgot to pack it.

    “Hey, Dmitri! We probably need 5,000 of those trucks we left back at Belgorod. Can you back, load them up with Krasnopols, petrol, and spare tires and drive them out to the front? Spasibo comrade!”

    Normally, fixing a logistical fiasco requires two things: Time and a great deal of money. You throw money at your logistical problem and hope that the force in the field can sit tight until the cavalry gets there.

    2. Tactics are for amateurs, the professionals focus on logistics.

      A note on this, MacArthur arguably had sufficient food and ammunition in the Philippines for them to hold out on Battan much longer. But he didn't relocate it as his troops retreated. Partially because there wasn't time & transport. But partially because he didn't pay attention to it.

    3. In software, the triangle is time, money and quality.  You can never have all three so you have to make trade-offs depending on the priorities of the project.  If it has to be done on time then you throw money at it and sacrifice some quality.  If quality is preeminent then it takes time.  This looks like a case where time is of the essence but the cupboard is bare because someone wanted to add another wet bar to their mega-yacht.  Will be interesting to see how the Russians resolve this fine mess that they are in.  Could turn out poorly.

  5. Remember back when Bennet & Hickenlooper were running for President and both campaigns were met with a big yawn. And the few that looked at their campaigns a bit more came up with one question – why?

    So yeah, they petered out quickly. But imagine if either of these backbenchers had actually become president and were in the White House now instead of Biden. Being someone who fades into the wallpaper is funny when it's Mike Pence as Vice President. But it's the last thing we need in a President.

    I'm not going to bitch (too much) about the two of them following in the steps of Allard & Udall and being invisible backbenchers. The Senate would be even more chaotic if every Senator was as active as Booker & Warren. And I'm guessing Schumer loves the quiet reliable votes both provide.

    But Congress bringing pressure on the President is an important part of our Democracy and it helped get us out of Vietnam, pushed us forward on Civil Rights (finally), and more. It's sometimes been a force for good, sometimes for bad, and sometimes for grandstanding. But at critical times, it can be a giant force for good.

    And so let's congratulate Jason Crowe. The lone voice in the Colorado delegation that is pushing for this country to do more in what is an existential fight for democracy and freedom.

    And this is not a one time thing. He has been there in the lead across the board on national security. In the trump impeachment, on Jan 6, and now on the war with Russia.

    If Jason runs for president, he would have my support. And unlike the campaigns of Bennet/Hickenlooper, no one would have a problem answering the question – why is he running.

  6. Good news (personally) – got an email from one of the Windward QA people and all of them are safe and have moved to Western Ukraine. They're actually still working but have been issued weapons and are subject to reserve call-ups.

    The U.S. is stepping up with more support including Switchblade drones (very very effective) and helicopters, along with pretty much everything else except MiGs.

    Russia continues to rain death & destruction on Ukraine. But they also remain stuck in place and as best as the intelligence can show, there's not much being sent to replace what is used up. When it's a big deal to Russia that they have 3,000 mercenaries to add, that's desperation.

    I also don't think the peace talks are close to anything. Russia has not yet realized it has lost and therefore is unlikely to be willing to give up territory they've conquered. And Ukraine, as a Democracy and as the side that appears to be winning, can't accept giving Russia any gain from the war.

      1. Here's another great story on the ground:

        A rapid Russian advance into the strategic southern town of 35,000 people, a gateway to a Ukrainian nuclear power station and pathway to attack Odessa from the back, would have showcased the Russian military’s abilities and severed Ukraine’s key communications lines.

        Instead, the two-day battle of Voznesensk, details of which are only now emerging, turned decisively against the Russians. Judging from the destroyed and abandoned armor, Ukrainian forces, which comprised local volunteers and the professional military, eliminated most of a Russian battalion tactical group on March 2 and 3.

        Basically a smaller Ukrainian team, composed of army and local volunteers, destroyed a Russian BTG. 

        1. Commentary on Daily Kos from people who appear to understand military groups for tactical uses, say the Russian BTGs are lightweight and incredibly fragile.  Add on somewhat prepared positions that take advantage of local knowledge, highly motivated troops, and what appears to be the Russians' difficulty in getting real-time tactical intelligence, and it is little wonder the defense of Voznesensk more than held its own.

            1. If the Ukrainian military wasn’t already heavily “occupied,” I’d like to see them take out a couple of Russian airbases, the ones being used to bomb Ukraine. Then there is the big Russian naval base at Sevastopol, in Crimea……. Several cruise missiles would work nicely.

              1. There have been SOME flights … but the statements from Ukrainian mayors and members of parliament have mainly talked about the problems constant artillery & ground-launched missiles. 

                The Atlantic Council / Scowcroft Center analysis says:

                What equipment does Ukraine really need? Amid the publicity of the on-again, off-again deal to send MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine, the focus of future security assistance has centered primarily around aircraft. With only fifty-six combat aircraft still available, the Ukrainian Air Force would certainly benefit from an infusion of fighter jets to contest Russian air superiority. However, we do not believe fighter jets are the most critical equipment the Ukrainian military needs right now. Our assessment is that ground-based air-defense assets, counter-fire capabilities, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) would have a more immediate and significant impact on the conflict than would more fighters.

                https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/russia-crisis-military-assessment-the-weapons-ukraine-needs-most-to-win-the-war/

  7. This is amazing bravery:

    The Russian television producer who staged an extraordinary anti-war protest live on national television said she was “fearful for my safety” but would not “take a single word back” from her statement criticising Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

    “I don’t regret one bit what I did,” Marina Ovsyannikova told the Guardian in a phone interview on Wednesday. “I will not take a single word back. These are my views.”

    Meanwhile here in the U.S. we have people crying about how mask mandates were the equivilent of the holocaust.

     

  8. It is amazing. I have a special hatred for Vlad, so each day I try to remind myself that there are so many good, GOOD, courageous Russians doing things like this every day, and are being punished severely for it. It is important to separate one from another. Don’t hate Russia, hate Putin.

  9. Some more thoughts on this. First off, I think Biden has done an incredibly good job here. I think he could have been a bit faster on some things but big picture, he's been amazing. And calling Putin a war criminal today – that's gigantic. That means there's no returning to what we had before with Putin.

    Second, the countries publicizing what they are sending to Russia is a powerful step. That's an in your face message to Russia. And the UK sending the Starstreak along with the other long range anti-aircraft coming from both NATO countries and the U.S. – Russia is going to find they can't fly anything. Ukraine will effectively have a no fly zone over most of the country.

    The Ukrainian refugees are almost entirely mothers & children. I don't know what the impact of this will be, but it's very different from all refugee crisises before and it's 3 million and growing.

  10. Explosions reported in several cities in Belarus. Nothing in the mainstream media yet, just Twitter, etc. If so – WTF? Most likely is Russian false flag operations but in today's world, it could be a lot of other things too.

    Good news – Melitopol mayor rescued. It's not clear if Ukrainian special forces got him out or the Russians released him.

    Not surprising – Koch Industries stays in Russia, backs groups opposing U.S. sanctions. With them it's always about the money. I hope there's a hell because if there is, that's where they're going.

    Good news – Netflix Brings Back Ukraine President's Dark Comedy ‘Servant of the People’. It's a funny show, painful at times but funny.

    Really good news – Russia is having a hard time selling oil. Companies (aside from Koch I assume) don't want to touch it.

    Great article about why every day we need to do more.

  11. I sent an email to Bennet, Hickenlooper, & Neguese a week ago. And what I got:

    Neguese – bland statement in support of Ukraine. Nothing specific. In other words, total fail.

    Hickenlooper – crickets. Again total fail.

    Bennet's reply included the following (my bolding):

    You might be interested to know that I was one of the first Senators to urge the Biden administration to grant Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians already in the United States – a request that the Administration approved. On January 13, 2022, I joined my Senate colleagues in introducing the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act. This bill would expedite security assistance to Ukraine and implement crippling sanctions on Russia, many of which the Biden administration has recently enacted. On February 11, 2022, I joined my bipartisan colleagues in urging President Biden to share intelligence with Ukraine to the fullest extent possible. I also joined bipartisan legislation to ban Russian oil imports to secure American energy independence from Russia.

    Not bad. I would prefer a lot more, but this is not a bad start.

    1. I hope someone got something useful.
       

      But I also hope Mr. Boebert did not expose his penis to any teenagers. I mean, I get Jeff Epstein is in prison, as all rich pimps eventually will be, but seriously – $450k/yr to say there is  oil in te ground somewhere… hire some witness can look,

  14. Kamil Galeev “Thread of Threads” has some really interesting twitter threads.

    The constant cycle of Putin’s policy has been:
    1. Manufacture a conflict
    2. Escalate, exacerbate
    3. Come out as the saviour, collect payout
    4. Scale up So far it has worked perfectly.
    Why? Because the other side never escalated it

    Agency works both ways. If Putin knows the West is determined to always and ever deescalate, always seek for compromise, it means his policy is working perfectly, why change it? So he repeats and scales up. And every time you’ll have to deal with larger conflict he manufactured

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