President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone soon after Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1406095
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1406095
Having a President is great.
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If Trump were still president he’d send American troops to Ukraine … to fight on Russia’s side.
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And hold a gala state dinner for his dear friend Putin and offer a night with Ivanka in gratitude.
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I guess I need to fill my car tomorrow, while prices are still in the single digits.
Having a sane and decent one even better.
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Also not bought-off, compromised, NPD, etc. etc.
Surviving four years with someone so utterly, disastrously unqualified occupying the most powerful office on the planet, has to count as at least a minor miracle. The Vatican should get on it.
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Also:
By Kate Riga
February 24, 2022 12:04 a.m.
Updated February 24, 2022 12:58 a.m.
TPM staff up late, when it counts.
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But like Hungary in 1956 or Czechoslovakia in 1968 they will only get “moral” support, and even that is a white privilege, the people of Iraq got shit when they were unfairly invaded in 2003.
Jesus Christ, how desperate are you for the Russians to start throwing nukes? Yes, absolutely, let’s immediately send in NATO because a cornered bear will respond in a calm and rational manner and not, say, contemplate rendering most of Ukraine glass?
Yeah, because we did the invading. Who was going to stop us? And did you really think we were going to show up with a housewarming gift? Or that any other power would be given a look in to make things all better?
Also, plenty of Americans condemned that war, although now I’m learning that the only reason any of us did was because we thought the Iraqis were white?
Something else to consider: the Iraq War was rushed through Congress when emotions were high. Saddam Hussein was Hitler, 9-11 was Munich and we were no better than Chamberlain if we didn’t get boots on the ground NOWNOWNOW.
But that whole invasion thingy worked out really well, so I don’t know why anyone complains about it…
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The best result of the 2020 election is that Vladimir Put in is no longer the most powerful man in America.
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From
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/thoughts-on-the-precipice
There is an argument — though I think at best an incomplete one — that the U.S. set the stage for this cataclysm by rapidly enrolling the Warsaw Pact into NATO in the 1990s. But right here and now, as we saw in Putin’s speech earlier this week, this is about a Great Power wanting to gobble up another country and using the most transparent sorts of pretexts and manufactured provocations that remind us of some of the darkest moments of the 20th century.
I think it is all too obvious at this stage that there is no legitimate historical argument for Russia’s actions. NATO’s actions decades ago are largely irrelevant. Russia was not under any threat, in the reality based world. History doesn’t really help here, but psychology – personal and social – certainly does. And Russia is not by any means a “Great Power”, unless that merely means having nukes and a bigish army. Russia would be crushed if it were to take on the West in a conventional war. It is only big in comparison to places like Ukraine. If nukes are used, Russia loses, and everyone else does too. Russia is not Great. It is, however, run by psychopaths. It can not begin to get on any road to greatness until it wakes up – and it might never do that. Putin has ~70% support. To help comprehend that: imagine the USA with 70% support for Trump – only worse.
Despite the grim news from Ukraine, there are some signs of resilience. Russia has not been able to shut down UKR comms. News is getting out. Social media is working. Someone is working to keep things going. I wonder if USIC is helping out on the down low to jam the Russians cyber attacks. UKR air defenses do seem to have some level of functionality as they appear to have shot down at least 2-3 Russian aircraft. Ukrainians in the eastern half of the country, even in contested Donetsk are showing their UKR colors.
Russia is proceeding mainly with long range missile attacks at UKR airports and other infrastructure sites. Biden has spoken with Zelensky. International community is reacting with horror. We are dependent on the ability of the Ukrainians to fight back and demonstrate resilience.
Life in UKR seems to be functioning. People are going to work and school while most others shelter in place out of precaution, sort of like a COVID lockdown.
News will change quickly, but let’s hope Ukrainians have some fight in them. It would be a huge blow to Putin’s standing if the Russian’s military advance could be slowed.
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Yep. Thanks to Vladimir Putin we are now witnessing the official start of a new decades-long cold war (Similar to the sentiments expressed in Josh’s comment, I think). I was pretty certain that a new cold war was coming, but to be honest, I thought it would be with China. Now, it looks like the West vs. the new “Axis of Evil” (Russia and China).
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Is there really an “Axis” here? What exactly is China’s position? I feel like I should know, but I don’t have a clue.
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“Thoughts and Prayers”…
This time not with crocodile tears.
The Chinese characters for China are 中国 (Hope this displays…). They mean the 'Middle Kingdom". China believes that it is the rightful and ordained center of the world: that is its position. China may make a temporary alliance with Russia and other non-democratic regimes as part of a ‘League of Autocrats’, but its ultimate goal is world domination.
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Putin, unlike Trump, is a psychopath who’s calculating, intelligent and relatively sane, who’s been gaming this out for years if not decades. But the underlying motivation is still quite batshit and pathetic, about settling ancient scores and exacting revenge over personal and collective bullhurt over shit that either happened long ago or never actually happened.
It’s like Mexico invading the US over land we stole from it nearly 175 years ago even though our possession of it has been internationally recognized ever since. Except that legality was imposed under duress, and Mexico has a valid historical if not necessarily legal claim. More like if the US invaded Mexico over land it failed to steal in 1848, claiming that it was always ours.
So, anyway, Putin has overwhelming force, a master, detailed plan, and the not irrational belief that push comes to shove the west won’t do anything that could truly reverse this, even if it means Russia and its people (but obviously not him, although his holdings will take a hit) enduring a lot of economic and other pain for years to come. It’s not an infallible plan, but it is pretty sound, if ruthless. The kind that a really smart psychopath would come up with and implement.
The real wild card here is nukes. Does he actually have a red line that would cause him to launch them, and if so would it be under the belief that there would either be no retaliation in kind, or there would be but his forces would be able to neutralize them in time, or there would be and some would find their target but he’s willing to endure that since he’ll be in some fortified luxury bunker where he and his family and people will survive? And what would be that red line? Or is he bluffing and trying to scare what he believes are paper tigers out of taking meaningful action against him?
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Not right away, he’d need time for tailors to make his special Military uniform first. And have his Space Force logo designer knock out 3 rows of medals.