One Week In, Ukrainians Hold On To Kyiv, Face Losses In South | Talking Points Memo

[left_in_washington_state]

I agree with you, Mad Vlad is the reality and there is no one around him to talk him off the ledge…at this point.

Interesting interview on Colbert last night with Fiona Hill, who I deeply respect.

"He's Not The Superman We Think Of" - Fiona Hill On Vladimir Putin

[yellowbeard]

@dittobot

According to the Kremlin readout, the war is “going according to plan.”

Really? How could providing rotten tires, a quagmire of fuel shortages, and confused troops who do not know why they are there be part of any plan?

[massie]

@randome

He appears to be losing (far too slowly) in Ukraine.

The far too slowly part is concerning. I fear that the world has too short of an attention span to care enough about this for very long, and that is bad for Ukraine. I think Putin’s probably counting on that. It’s been a week and other news is going to start pushing this off the front page soon.

[philmore]

@wassmuss

the USA did very little for the plight of the European Jews.

We certainly did too little. The awful truth is, even if we did more, it would not have been much. Recall where the Holocaust took place.

[thebigragu]

@wassmuss

the USA did very little for the plight of the European Jews. Their plight was never a motive for intervention in itself.

After Kursk and the failed breakout by Germans at Stalingrad Nazi Germany was doomed , the US major motive was to keep Stalin and the Red Army out of Western Europe.

[zenicetus]

@randome

The only fly in the ointment, of course, is that Putin does not appear to be thinking logically. I would assume our own armaments are up to the task, should Putin start shooting nuclear weapons to accompany him shooting off his big mouth, and we should be able to knock down anything he launches outside the Russian/Ukraine zone.

I assume.

Don’t assume that. We don’t have a defense against Russia launching its strategic ICBMs at US cities and military installations. No “Iron Dome” for nukes. They don’t have a defense against our response either, which has kept it from happening.

[christianhankel]

How long would it take to get a lab online? Biden brought Intel’s CEO to the SOTU to try and pressure the GQP into passing his innovation act. Let’s say Republicans decide today to pass the act - which is a fantasy but just for the sake of argument. That would put us in the vicinity of two years away from having a fully functional fab lab in the US. Are you willing to hold off on starting WWIII until early 2024?

[castor_troy]

@zenicetus

No “Iron Dome” for nukes.

…That we admit to having.

[tena]

i’m not any more interested in being responsible for vaporizing the Russian people who don’t want this war by and large either, than I am in being vaporized, people.

[philmore]

@thebigragu

the US major motive was to keep Stalin and the Red Army out of Western Europe.

That’s a bit of a stretch.

[christianhankel]

As will we.

[philmore]

Yup.

[txlawyer]

@zillacop

Yes, in terms of all the sanctions, but this is still allowing displacement of millions. And, what about Poland having to incorporate so many people?

Hmm, temporary relocation and the fatal overreach of a global adversary, or nuclear fucking apocalypse and the extinction of the human species?

Tough call.

[randome]

Under normal circumstances (whatever that means), I’d agree with you. But for the rest of the world, I think invading Ukraine is a bridge too far. Russia may go entirely bankrupt before long, and then they will lose the capacity to furnish their troops with anything, let alone the meager supplies they are sending now.

The ‘financial nukes’ we’ve launched against Russia will have a devastating effect.

[tena]

They just need a little more time to work - they are devastating - I agree.

[left_in_washington_state]

[osprey]

There are microchip fabs in the US - not enough to fulfill all our needs, but we’re not without. I live 10 miles from one. There are at least two that I know of in NY State. There are fabs in AZ and TX, probably other places.

[xcopy]

@castor_troy

You’ve literally got someone telling you he’s running another holocaust, and people are like, “but he haz nucular weaponz, can’t do anything except sit on our hands”.

I dont see you personally volunteering to defend Ukraine. And i don’t see how calling everyone here a wimp from the safety of your own keyboard is in any way better for the people of Ukraine.

[thebigragu]

@philmore

That’s a bit of a stretch.

You’re right, only “a bit”.

[26degreesrising]

My position is I see this from the Ukrainian point of view no less than I see it from our own. If you can’t read what Ustinova had to say without going on about how we’re doing the “right” thing, then fine. You do you.

I don’t say there’s anything else we could do, or should do. And certainly there’s nothing Biden could have done differently, he’s done better than could have been humanly hoped. Beyond that, I have no idea what is “right.” All I know is that this pathetic and something I never hoped to see in my lifetime in Europe again. And no amount of but it could be so much worse – Putin could nuke us! – makes me feel much better about what is actually happening right now in front my eyes. These people have been sold short, and they know it, no matter how many blue and yellow lights we bounce off the Empire State Building.