After eight years of war, many Ukrainians thought Russia’s saber-rattling over the past few months was nothing new.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1406609
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1406609
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I don’t know who wrote about it first, but they observed that Biden’s direct messaging was filled with warnings about specific things Putin was definitely going to do. This material came from high quality intelligence that Biden was certain he could rely on.
The purpose was to warn Ukrainians and the world, but to also show Putin we were pretty far up his ass and knew everything.
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It’s excruciating. The whiplash of discovery this is real, deadly and incredibly large. Who will not be effected? What do I do? What do we do? We are at the awful beginning of a senseless, ruinous war that cannot end well. God help us.
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Cool indifference to the uncertainty, perhaps.
Now that they know what they’re dealing with,
I’m betting on steely resolve and action.
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Every day the Ukrainians hold out is a good day for democracy and for them. The Russian army needs to turn his around very soon because each day is going to get worse for them. It’s still early and many innings left to play, but here’s hoping the Ukrainians can hold out and lead to the end of Putin’s imperialism.
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And the whole time, those on both traitorous fringes of American politics – from Trump brownshirts to Greenwald proglodytes – poo pooed the warnings as “political theater to distract from Biden’s inflation!”
Until it actually happened – whereupon their chorus shifted, as if on cue, to “Why didn’t Biden see this coming?!”
Hooting Dumbasses On D-Day Minus One: “Enough with Biden’s warnings!”
Hooting Dumbasses On D-Day Plus One: “Biden didn’t warn us enough!”
(It’s the crap-on-Biden version of “The food is awful – and the portions are too small!”)
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Agreed. Releasing that intelligence was a great move. It was so specific the Russians didn’t know how to respond to it. It made their lies all the more transparent.
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Paul Krugman has an interesting article about how to really hurt Russia, the problem is it would require America, Europe and everyone else to take on corruption by everyone and not just Russia.
The article begins:
"The United States and its allies aren’t going to intervene with their own forces against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. I’ll leave it to others with relevant expertise to speculate about whether we’ll send more arms to the Ukrainian government or, if the Russian attack achieves quick success, help arm the Ukrainian resistance.
For the most part, however, the West’s response to Putin’s naked aggression will involve financial and economic sanctions. How effective can such sanctions be?
The answer is that they can be very effective, if the West shows the will — and is willing to take on its own corruption."
And Ends
"There are two uncomfortable facts here. First, a number of influential people, both in business and in politics, are deeply financially enmeshed with Russian kleptocrats. This is especially true in Britain. Second, it will be hard to go after laundered Russian money without making life harder for all money launderers, wherever they come from — and while Russian plutocrats may be the world champions in that sport, they’re hardly unique: Ultrawealthy people all over the world have money hidden in offshore accounts.
What this means is that taking effective action against Putin’s greatest vulnerability will require facing up to and overcoming the West’s own corruption.
Can the democratic world rise to this challenge? We’ll find out over the next few months."
The entire article is at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/opinion/russia-ukraine-sanctions-offshore-accounts.html
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the world – and Ukraine – went from a patina of normalcy to horror
Russian people,
No.
Sincerely,
The World
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When Trump proclaimed that Putin was savvy, he was again saying the quiet part put loud. Yes Putin was savvy, he realized that his hold on American politics was slipping, so he made his move while he could.
His minions in the media has done what they can to carry his water. His problem is that his country has internal problems, there is a lot of dissent and a yearning for freedom.
Invading Ukraine isn’t going to make his problems go away, that’s not savvy.
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OT maybe, but I’m watching MSNBC. Ms Wallace and Ms. Farkas are having trouble keeping their composure. That’s not a criticism, but an observation.
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It is queued up : - )
Limbaugh proved there’s a coordinated network, run by subjugation to the biggest, badest ape in the tribe.
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He, like you know who, is a narcissist. He will not listen to any advice from subordinates. Indeed, challenging him might get one a bullet in the brain stem.
People who survived Hitler described him as unreachable, untouchable.
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I really like Paul, but sometimes he’s just too funny.
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Agreed. And he’s been in the same job (more or less) of personally making Russia great again, so long that he’s lost touch with reality and common decency.
I don’t yet believe the Russian people are like that themselves. I hope this is just Putin’s mental illness. Russia needs a change.
A change from war. One of these days, they might just get one.
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Is it not about time for an update to the Panama papers, a little peek-a-boo into the matters of money laundering around the world? See also: Pandora Papers (2021) and Suisse Secrets (2022.)
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Nancy, too.
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America’s Cool Indifference to Trump’s Defeat Turned To Desperation In A Matter Of Hours
One thing 6 January proved is that we Americans ain’t that much different.
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