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Which accomplished what? The Putin Gang came out of the Trump years as strong as ever.
The problem was that Trump was so anti-NATO & anti-internationalism that he couldn't rally other countries to the cause, as Biden is able (see Condi Rice's interview on Fox yesterday)
No one could trust the guy to keep his word about any agreement or pact.
Anytime you cite Mnuchin you weaken your case. He was concerned only about himself and his cadre of vulture capitalists.
https://theintercept.com/2019/01/01/steve-mnuchin-treasury-secretary-stock-market/
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-treasury-foreclosed-homes-mnuchin-232038
Don't forget Trump also put tariffs on Japan, Canada, China, Turkey, and India (hello inflation and supply chain problems). Tariffs are sanctions.
I wonder if he's actually still a hero to rank and file Russians, Ivan Sixpack.
Could be he's a cult figure like Dear Leader is here, avidly loved by a minority of the citizens there.
He also had a puppet in Donald Trump. Vlad not doing a good job of reading the room.
It seems that is how things are unfolding.
Even Japan is getting in on the action, which we don't see too often:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/28/russia-ukraine-war-putin-news/#link-2VBF4GAI6FCZHNJMTD3GG5RZE4
He might want to install a puppet government and call it a day, but how does that work? Ukraine is about the size of Texas, 1.5X bigger than Iraq.
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/ukraine/iraq
How does Russia keep an area that large pacified in a way that works better than the American attempt in Iraq? When the locals are super motivated to reclaim independence and have already experienced Russian dominion and didn't enjoy it at all.
I'm not seeing it, I think it will break the Russian economy and the Russian people aren't going to support it either. It could wind up being something like Russia's version of the American / Vietnam experience.
In the meantime, global financial markets are not recognizing Russian assets and things are about to get very, very tough for Mr and Mrs Average Russian. Talk about supply chain problems.
I keep getting back to Stalin:
https://newrepublic.com/article/145953/stalin-starved-ukraine
These people hate the Soviets / Russians/ Commies, completely. They are committed to fight to not become part of the Russian Federation and Vlad is not prepared for this level of resistance.
He could save face by abdicating his throne and living the rest of his life in obscene luxury, somewhere. There's always somewhere that will take the murderous dictators of the world.
Thanks, I had missed that.
Hmmm. I think it's entirely possible that Putin now recognizes this as a colossal blunder and the meeting tonight (?) with the Ukrainians may be about him saving face.
Wouldn't want to be around the guy when he's steamed up about something, a brutal man.
I just can't see what he gets out of annexing Ukraine. The occupation is going to be intensely difficult, consuming huge amounts of resources, and world financial markets will remain closed to the Russians.
For those who think this would never have happened with Dear Leader in charge, I was reminded today that Trump did nothing about Russia's occupation of Crimea for 4 years.
Yes, the real fear at this point is that a cornered, defeated Putin will lose all sense of decency, the little that he has to begin with. He's always gotten his way.
We can only hope for a military coup there, of all things, at this point, but I'm guessing the military brass there are his loyalists. Except, maybe like the last Tsar, he's also misjudged the situation. At this point the Russian people themselves will probably be as happy as anyone when he goes.
There's just no getting him to see that he's wrong. Too bad he can't just take his billions and go live somewhere that will have him and leave everyone else alone.
I think Vlad has lost his mind, for real. Stuff that seems irrational is what you'd expect from a leader who is surrounded only by yes men.
It's hard to believe he'd actually nuke a country but he's poisoned political enemies, so who knows. Europe has been hesitant to confront him because they rely so much on gas from Russia, but this might tip it against him.
But who would he nuke, Ukraine? What's the point of invading if you're going to destroy the country and poison your own troops with radioactive fallout?
Send Ukraine some of the Iron Dome shite and Vlad's nukes will fall on his own country.
Alex, I'll take "just the black ones" for $500.
Check this out, I've just started in on it - it sort of agrees with my point of view, so I like it, of course:
polls taken 1 year into a 4 year terms are a joke. They keep the 24/7 news cycle fed but are irrelevant in the real world.
A month is an eternity in politics, only the desperate will extrapolate from this stuff. My guess is that the mid-terms will go surprisingly poorly for the R's, they have no actual policy goals and people are put off by their increasingly violent rhetoric.
Keep speaking at those white nationalist sponsored events, though, that's the ticket for attracting independent voters, said no one ever.
ok, I can agree with you about most of that. To us, maybe, it would seem like we're going to start doing the right thing. I'm worried that some parts of the world will look at it like just another case of American warmongering. Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Pakistan, who can keep track of which have been righteous:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_armed_conflicts_involving_the_United_States#21st-century
I'm also concerned, as I've mentioned, with the notion of more young Americans dying on a battlefield when America hasn't been attacked. Our principles, maybe, but that's a theoretical cause for actual dying.
That's why I think it's maybe better for NATO soldiers to do the fighting backed by our money, fighter jets, etc. Regardless, a crucial part of this battle is going to be done on the cyber warfare battlefields, I think that might determine who actually "wins" (no one will actually win). We're good with that, but so is Russia and its allies like Iran and N Korea.
Also, taking Ukraine is a long way from keeping Ukraine. The country is too big to be pacified, look how the NVA did against a superpower, in an area with much less territory to hide and regroup to plan more counter attacks.
Enough Ukrainians already hated Russia for their combined history, this is going to be a tough slog for Vlad & Co.
You're really itching for war, it appears. Your kids enlisted? I guess we really didn't have enough American deaths in Afghanistan so here's a chance for more!
Who stood up to bully America when we invaded Iraq? How do you think Iranians enjoyed it when we had 100'sK troops on its eastern border in Iraq and the same on its western border in Afghanistan?
So often, the armchair generals are of the Trump sort, never served in the military.
100% (second sentence). Or a ground war with anyone, if possible.
First sentence sets the stage for many an interesting discussion.
I believe you'll find that is a quote by him:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/183808-total-paranoia-is-just-total-awareness#:~:text=Quote%20by%20Charles%20Manson%3A%20%E2%80%9CTotal,paranoia%20is%20just%20total%20awareness.%E2%80%9D
The rest of your post I agree with. Interesting that the Russian Federation signed onto the Budapest Memorandum.
Reading between the lines, your glee at what you describe as your perception of Biden's incompetence says it. You clearly want him to have a failed presidency. And that is putting party before country, it is hating country.
I don't remember wanting Trump to fail. I detested his policies and think he's an immoral slime ball criminal. But if he had ever come up with, one time, ever, any policies that aided the country I would have supported them.
If you don't wan't America to fail, then, for example, do you support the infrastructure bill? One out of 3 of all of the bridges in this country need repair or replacement. What is your solution?
https://www.axios.com/americas-bridges-are-falling-apart-faster-than-expected-24ca1839-f4c1-400e-ae16-a24fa95f2238.html
It seems to be all that you got is calling him senile and taking parts of career out of context for laughs. And that's the problem, conservatives don't have any policy proposals at all, any more.
Ok, we all love Biden. Didn't mean to put words in your mouth, maybe you didn't explain yourself well? I don't know.
Maybe if you were Jewish, you'd get the line of mine that you italicized. All Jews live their lives waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Paranoia? Maybe. But you can also draw a pretty straight line from Ferdinand to the modern American white nationalists.
As the man said, "total paranoia is total awareness." Lucky you, that you can dismiss it as snark and invite a couple of Jews to leave the country, at their leisure.
Nonsense. Just because you hate Biden doesn't mean that everything will go wrong on his watch.
It's a bit hard to understand how you reached these conclusions and since you provided no evidence, we get the fun opportunity to guess.
There isn't any reason to think the Ukrainians are toast, you should file that under the category of "wishful thinking". Maybe ask Tucker Carlson why the invasion is ok by him and his fanboys.
And: how have we gone back on our word? By trying to withhold money from Ukraine for their military until they dig up dirt of some Biden?
At least Biden isn't trying to pull out of NATO and can get the leaders of other western countries to help out, something the Tax Cheat-oh, could never have done.
Vlad is toast. The Russian economy is in the toilet to begin with, the only way this invasion would have worked would have been if it succeeded quickly.
Russia will find most of the global economic powers, except maybe China, aligned against it. Putin's got billions, it's the regular guy Russians who are going to feel the pain.
Love her or hate her, Rachel Maddow had a good piece the other night comparing Russia's economy to that of various other countries
What I don't understand is if you're are actually rooting for America to fail, overall, or in specific endeavors, so that you can ridicule Biden and vote him out.
Certainly the geniuses at FoxNews are, as is Breitbart, and NewsMax. The CPAC going on now is a prolonged anti-American hate fest. Owning the libs will turn out to produce a very limited number of high paying jobs outside the media.
The rubles got to you guys, but good, all hail Vlad the Conqueror.
From what I hear, a lovely country. One of the few, I believe, that doesn't bother with a standing army.
https://en.unesco.org/memoryoftheworld/registry/209
Did you check this shit out?
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/doug-ducey-wendy-rogers-white-nationalism-1312690/
This is why I'm so totally against being prejudice against any group. Because if it's not against the Jews, the Jews are next in line.
Exactly, but for tight family connections, I"d be on the serious lookout, myself.
If you buy a home in Portugal:
https://getgoldenvisa.com/portugal-citizenship-by-investment#:~:text=No%2C%20you%20can't%20buy,to%20a%20Portuguese%20bank%20account.
If I were young enough. Have a neighbor who did this last year and has no regrets.
Also, if you're of Irish descent:
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/irish_citizenship/irish_citizenship_through_birth_or_descent.html#:~:text=Applications%20based%20on%20being%20the,to%2030%20months%20to%20process.
My daughter in law has dual Belgian and US citizenship and travels with either passport. If only.
Then there's Costa Rica, Mexico, the Bahamas, basically, well, anywhere.
Give me authoritarianism or give me death!
It is interesting that hard right wingers only like the America that was white and male dominated.
It's not so much that they love America as that they love the fantasy of a white christian country, where they will always be the final decision makers.
And the uneducated and untrained will have all the best jobs and Oxycontin will be an over the counter drug. And parents will have the final say about medicine and education and everything awkward is a liberal plot.
When they start to come after the school teachers, which is happening now, it's time to seriously consider heading for the exits.
Russia's economy is smaller than Italy's. This war will break them, Vlad has lost his mind.
Put a billionaire in charge of a country, let him surround himself with people who are afraid to disagree with him, and disastrous decisions like invading Ukraine ensue.
The Trump model in action. (except that he's only a wannabe billionaire)
Why don't you go fetch them, Sparky?
Do you guys ever have anything constructive to say, a path to getting anything done?
Or is it all about sitting in the corner and going, "Wah! Bad Biden"?
Right, England was, historically, so nice to India it's hard to imagine why.
Turns out Native Americans aren't the only Indians who remain pissed about what the White Man did. Go figure.
Wait, what? I thought that's exactly what they're doing.
Also heard a Vindman interview today (long drive), interesting, indeed.
Heard it on NPR this afternoon, whilst driving. Speech or press conference by head of NATO. Maybe this:
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_192343.htm
"We have over 100 jets at high alert.
And there are more than 120 Allied ships at the sea, from the High North to the Mediterranean."
I disagree that Ukraine will be subject to rule by Putin.
Ukraine is the size of Texas with a population of about 40 million. And most of them hate Russia and / or the old Soviet Union.
First, the cost of war and sanctions are going to play havoc with what's left of the Russian economy.
Then, how are they going to pacify a country that large? How did America do in Iraq?
Ukraine has experienced fighters who are motivated and will be backed financially by the West. NATO offered today 100 fighter jets available as needed.
Last, the invasion has not been going well so far. Ukraine has been able to push back the Russian military in a few spots and there have been unexpected demonstrations of thousands throughout Russia, against he war.
Vlad has stepped in doo doo and this won't end well for him.
This former president is just a despicable human being, there is no other way to describe him.
That he could con so many people in this country gives him an easy first ballot election to the Swindlers Hall of Fame.
I have a cousin in Manhattan who's brilliant - best colleges, great career, and he went for Trump. Go figure.
Yeah, I guess this is all b.s.
"Trump has vetoed every bill passed by Congress to disengage US forces from the Saudi war in Yemen and to halt the sales of US-made warplanes and bombs, which the Saudis use to systematically kill Yemeni civilians. He created a new conflict with Iran by pulling out of the nuclear deal, and in January 2020, he capriciously flirted with a full-scale war on Iran by ordering the assassination of Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi military commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Iraq." - Jacobin magazine
"The extent of the Trump administration’s 127e programs, Politico has said, in effect constituted a secret U.S. war in African countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Mali and Niger."
She's been creeping people out for generations.
Yup, they were married, I had forgotten:
https://www.the-sun.com/news/4443461/kimberly-guilfoyle-trump-unrecognizable-picture-gavin-newsom/
She comes across as a wannabe Evita. Will we ever be rid of these unpleasant people?
Fired from Fox news for sexual harassment of both men and women. She must, indeed, be an artful small penis sucker, can't see anything else obviously going for her.
How does someone date Newsom then a few years later Jr? A political groupie with no moral core.
Incorrect. There was no doubt that the evidence showed that KR murdered two people. The question was whether it was in self defense or not. That's not an issue of evidence at all, it's an interpretation of the law regarding self defense.
OJ claimed he didn't murder 2 people, KR admitted he had. How do you see that much of a similarity between the two cases? Claiming innocence in no way resembles claiming self defense. Being found not guilty does not equal being found innocent.
If you're good with what KR did, what about the Aubrey case in Georgia? Basically the same thing, some guy with a rifle threatens someone then claims that person went for his rifle and he shot Aubrey in self defense.
KR didn't prevent any violence or killings. His victims were the only people killed that night.
Well, that's a willfully misinterpreted version. The prosecutors quit because they didn't think the new Manhattan DA was being serious enough about the case.
Don't worry, though, Letitia James isn't going anywhere. First, Trump will go to jail on tax charges (Federal), then NY State and Georgia will bust him on various state charges.
It's going to be a long stretch for Jr and Eric, too, when all is said and done. Ivanka will sing, I'm sure her mother has nothing nice to say about Big Don and is advising her that Sr. will throw her under the bus if given a chance. Like he has with a number of his other relatives, including his brother's family. The boys don't have enough brains between them to figure a way out.
What has Don Jr ever done, anyway, to merit any time on television or to have anybody listen to him. Left his wife and 5 kids for the Guilfoyle Blimp?
Sure, push polling, I get calls once in a while about doing a poll then I hang up when I realize what's going on.