[HotAir] Some colleges and universities in the United States have been struggling with student performance, particularly since they began spending more time protesting Israel or the police than on the classes they signed up for. And the DEI push concerning who does or doesn't get admitted isn't helping either. But no school wants to go public and say that they are graduating a bunch of sub-par students, right? Western Oregon University has joined the ranks of those who are finding creative solutions to these challenges. They will simply no longer issue failing grades to anyone such as "D-" or "F." They will simply assign "no credit" to those who fail to complete the work in the hope that they will be less likely to drop out. Brilliant! (Fox News)
An Oregon university announced they will abandon failing letter grades, citing a "GPA fixation" that negatively impacts students.
Western Oregon University issued a news release earlier this month that revealed the school would be replacing "D-" and "F" grades with "no credit" to discourage undergrads from dropping out.
Students who do not earn a passing grade in their course will be required to repeat the course and demonstrate proficiency.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective ||
02/06/2024 02:31 ||
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[31 views]
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#1
"We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs here, gentlemen! We must do something about this immediately! Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph!"
#2
Looks like I went to the wrong college in the wrong era.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/06/2024 5:45 Comments ||
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#3
#1 "We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs here, gentlemen! We must do something about this immediately! Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph!"
Posted by: Classer 2024-02-06 04:59
#9
MikeKozlowski in May of 2010 I harrumphed the Govenor of Tennessee in a tavern in Rogersville, Tennessee.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/06/2024 11:29 Comments ||
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#10
I would advise young people these days to go into plumbing. When you need a plumber, you really need a plumber and you will gladly pay to get the problem fixed.
Posted by: Abu Laptop (same as Abu Uluque but on a different computer.) ||
02/06/2024 12:03 Comments ||
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#11
It's never going to be possible for some guy on a help desk in India to plunge your toilet or fix your wiring.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/06/2024 12:08 Comments ||
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#12
Brown University tried something like this back in the late 60s. The grad schools were having none of it, and Brown retreated.
Of course, maybe a lot of the "students" at Western Oregon aren't planning on grad school.
Posted by: Tom ||
02/06/2024 12:22 Comments ||
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#13
Essentially making the point that there is very little distinction between a Western Oregon UniversityDiploma and Charmin toilet paper, except that the undergrad tuition alone would finance several lifetimes of the latter!
Ten months ago, we launched the Vesuvius Challenge to solve the ancient problem of the Herculaneum Papyri, a library of scrolls that were flash-fried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Today we are overjoyed to announce that our crazy project has succeeded. After 2000… pic.twitter.com/fihs9ADb48
This image was produced by @Youssef_M_Nader, @LukeFarritor, and @JuliSchillij, who have now won the Vesuvius Challenge Grand Prize of $700,000. Congratulations!!
These fifteen columns come from the very end of the first scroll we have been able to read and contain new text from the ancient world that has never been seen before. The author – probably Epicurean philosopher Philodemus – writes here about music, food, and how to enjoy life's pleasures. In the closing section, he throws shade at unnamed ideological adversaries – perhaps the stoics? – who "have nothing to say about pleasure, either in general or in particular."
This year, the Vesuvius Challenge continues. The text that we revealed so far represents just 5% of one scroll.
In 2024, our goal is to from reading a few passages of text to entire scrolls, and we're announcing a new $100,000 grand prize for the first team that is able to read at least 90% of all four scrolls that we have scanned.
The scrolls stored in Naples that remain to be read represent more than 16 megabytes of ancient text. But the villa where the scrolls were found was only partially excavated, and scholars tell us that there may be thousands more scrolls underground. Our hope is that the success of the Vesuvius Challenge catalyzes the excavation of the villa, that the main library is discovered, and that whatever we find there rewrites history and inspires all of us.
It's been a great joy to work on this strange and amazing project. Thanks to Brent Seales for laying the foundation for this work over so many years, thanks to the friends and Twitter users whose donations powered our effort, and thanks to the many contestants whose contributions have made the Vesuvius Challenge successful!
Read more in our announcement: https://scrollprize.org/grandprize
#1
– writes here about music, food, and how to enjoy life's pleasures. In the closing section, he throws shade at unnamed ideological adversaries – perhaps the stoics? – who "have nothing to say about pleasure, either in general or in particular."
#2
CFP and Bloomberg today have articles about the success of reading burned papyrus scrolls from a Herculaneum library found in the villa of Piso, Caesars father-in-law. Using new AI techniques to virtually read the scrolls without damaging them, they have begun to read new, 2000 year old literature from the private library of Rome's elite. There may be thousands of them in this one location alone. Amazing and potentially adding enormous new insights into Roman cultural, economic and political life at the height of the Empire.
[Bravo Blue on Substack] We never met, but I love Toby Keith. Not just his music, but the man. This is my short anecdote that explains (partially) why. First a tad of background is necessary.
In 2004 my son was on his first (of about a dozen) combat deployments to the Mideast. He was then a 2nd Lieutenant with the 10th Mountain Division. It was the first of his many extended separations from his wonderful wife and, later, his precious son and daughter. My wife and I travelled to Ft. Drum to visit with him and his wife, and to be there when he boarded the plane, headed to war. While there, I met a few members of his unit. One of my enduring recollections was of the support given to soldiers and their families by the Battalion Command Sergeant Major’s wife as they said their good-byes, not knowing what the future held for any of them.
Not long after the battalion deployed, they were engaged in street fighting in Baghdad and suffered their first KIA’s. Like all parents of deployed soldiers, I lived on pins and needles, reading and watching the news for any developments that could affect our lives.
At the time, many people were repeating the mantra, "I support the troops," but not everyone could or did act on that. I wanted to make some small gesture to show support for the families that the soldiers had left behind, to show that people they did not even know appreciated their sacrifice, too.
At the time I was a partner in a major international law firm. I spoke with the firm’s chairman, Gordon Rainey who is an Army veteran, and we came up with a plan. It was not a huge thing, but a way just to show that other people appreciated and had not forgotten the soldiers’ families back home.
Gordon and I collaborated on a letter of support to the wives and families of every soldier in the battalion. Gordon signed it as Chairman on behalf of our firm. I made arrangements to have the letter, together with a small package of appreciation, delivered to the wives of every soldier in the battalion at Ft. Drum in upstate New York.
The other items I wanted to include in our little packages for the wives were a single yellow rose and a CD with Toby Keith’s hit song, "American Soldier," which had just been released the prior November.
By 2004 Toby Keith was already a megastar with multiple number one hits, including songs with pure American and patriotic and patriotic themes, such as Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue. But I thought that the words of "American Soldier," which Toby co-wrote, were particularly appropriate for the battalion’s wives and families at that difficult time. Listen and read the complete lyrics below Please, don’t just skim them — read, re-read and reflect on the love that went into the composition and singing of this song.
Because these CDs were coming from a law firm that was fastidious about such things, I knew that we had to get permission to make all the CDs with a copyrighted song. Not having any contacts in the Nashville music industry, I just approached the problem directly. I wrote to Toby Keith, explained the situation, and asked his approval to make hundreds of copies of "American Soldier" to send to the soldiers’ families.
I was not sure whether I would get a response. A famous artist like Toby Keith gets hundreds of letters from fans all over the world. Even with the aid of staff, he can’t read, much less respond to them all. But he did. Toby wrote back, kindly giving us permission to make as many copies of "American Soldier" as we needed to show our support for the military families.
So, that is my small story of a thoughtful and patriotic gesture by one of our greatest entertainers. In the overall scheme of things, it was a small matter. Toby went on to make many trips to Iraq, Afghanistan, deployed warships, and other venues to put on USO shows for the troops. He doubtlessly did not dwell on my request or even remember it later. But he allowed us to show our small measure of tangible support and appreciation for deployed soldiers’ families. To me that was a very big thing.
So, thank you Toby Keith. You are a patriot who will be missed.
An American Soldier
I'm just trying to be a father
Raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother
Everything to everyone
Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success
From my head down to my boots.
I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah, I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be.
And I can't call in sick on Mondays
When the weekends been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
And sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready
When the wolf growls at the door
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady
Hey I'm true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty
No matter what the price
I've counted up the cost
I know the sacrifice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
But if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
'Cause freedom don't come free.
I'm an American soldier, an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines
Sleep in peace tonight
American soldier, I'm an American soldier.
Yeah, an American soldier, an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines
So sleep in peace tonight
American soldier, I'm an American ...
an American ...
an American soldier.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 10:42 ||
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[23 views]
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#1
I'm afraid Biden's plan is to replace American soldiers with "immigrants".
Posted by: Abu Laptop (same as Abu Uluque but on a different computer.) ||
02/06/2024 12:06 Comments ||
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#2
There will always be the Army of the Old Republic.
#4
When the Plains states out here in the panhandles burned up over 1 million acres in 2017, Toby Keith was the only big name to notice, and put out a wonderful support video.
[FoxNews] El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, self-described as the "world's coolest dictator," secured what global observers deemed a landslide re-election victory on Sunday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on Monday congratulating Bukele on the win.
"The United States commends the work of electoral observers and looks forward to working with President-elect Bukele and Vice President-elect Felix Ulloa following their inauguration in June," Blinken said.
"The United States values our strong relationship with the people of El Salvador, forged over 160 years and built on shared values, regional ties, and family connections. Events in El Salvador have a direct impact on U.S. interests at home and abroad. Only by working together can we achieve our full potential and overcome the greatest obstacles in our hemisphere and globally," Blinken said. "Looking ahead, the United States will continue to prioritize good governance, inclusive economic prosperity, fair trial guarantees, and human rights in El Salvador under our Root Causes Strategy."
Reuters reported that provisional election results available on Monday morning showed Bukele winning 83% support, far ahead of the 7% for his nearest competitor, the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, with just over 70% of the ballots counted.
Bukele had already announced he was the winner before official results were announced, stating he secured more than 85% of the vote.
Ballots from 31% of polling places had been counted late Sunday, according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's preliminary results.
"All together the opposition was pulverized," Bukele, standing with his wife on the balcony of the National Palace, said Sunday, according to Reuters. "El Salvador went from being the most unsafe (country) to the safest. Now in these next five years, wait to see what we are going to do."
His New Ideas party is also projected to pick up almost all the 60 seats in the legislative body, Reuters reported.
Bukele made clear that he expects the newly elected Legislative Assembly to continue extending the special powers he has enjoyed since March 2022 to combat the country’s feared gangs.
[Twitter @vtchakarova] ‼️ Very long post on Russia’s geopolitical and geoeconomics calculus. Several intelligence services have recently published a scenario in which Russia may attack NATO member (eg Baltics). Possible but not yet plausible. There are also statements and publications on the growing risks for the European security architecture. That’s been plausible since 2022.
I will highlight the key dimensions of Russia‘s geopolitical and geoecononic warfare, which are still spot two years later.
There are three key dimensions and the updated scenarios on the war at the end of the post.
The first dimension considers Ukraine; the second dimension considers the European security order; and the third dimension - the new Cold War between the US and the #DragonBear.
➡️ Russia seeks first and foremost the complete political, economic and societal subjugation of Ukraine
➡️ Ukraine’s subjugation can be achieved in a time frame of 10-15 years through gradual destruction
➡️ Russia seeks to build a Russian (not Soviet) Union with Belarus and the parts of Russian controlled Ukraine - with deployment of nuclear weapons, Russification, etc.
➡️ If Ukraine can’t be fully subjugated, Russia will seek to balkanize it and split it along the new Iron Curtain between the Eastern Flank of Nato & Moscow’s West Flank
➡️ If Russia wins in this phase, it may try to seize Odesa and Kyiv again; then Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia may be annexed in the next step. Moscow may eventually provoke Baltics (NATO) in a third step as part of “Russkiy mir”
➡️ Russia seeks to render the EU geopolitically irrelevant by destroying the European security architecture through paralyzed international institutions (eg OSCE), no longer valid legal regimes and treaties; and security vacuum along the peripheries of the continent (Russian activities in MENA & Balkans)
➡️ Russia plays for time using its influence in right & left political forces, eroding Western principles, norms & values through old and newly introduced instruments and tools of the Soviet playbook
➡️ Russia wages a geoeconimic warfare, utilizing commodities dependencies and access to raw materials as a weapon against the European economic model
➡️ Russia aims to gradually erode the EU’s coherence and integrity from within by playing off members against each other and side with Russian friendly governments
➡️ Last but not least, Russia’s war against Ukraine is the manifestation of the beginning of Cold War 2.0 between the US and the DragonBear
➡️ Russia’s calculus is to position itself as a wild card between US and China, augmenting the weight within the systemic rivalry because of the geopolitical importance of Russia
➡️ neither the US nor China can ignore Moscow and yet Moscow can play off the two rivals against each other
➡️ The DragonBear has become a modus vivendi of strategic coordination in many domains over the last 10 years as China wants to prevent Nixon approach to Russia
➡️ Putin will have better cards with the US too if Trump (or a Republican) becomes the next US president
➡️ All in all, three strategic components play a key role for the scenarios on Russia’s war - Western aid, Western sanctions and International Isolation
➡️ On the 2nd anniversary, the Western military aid for Ukraine is significantly low compared to the first year (90% less was delivered in May-Oct 2023 compared to same period in 2022)
➡️ The Western sanctions work and the non-energy sector is now more profitable than the oil and gas revenues, however Russia bets on war economy and shadow fleet as well as further stable demand from Asia
➡️ International isolation didn’t work as Russia relies on key players such as China and India, but also swing states like Turkey, UAE, Brazil, etc.
➡️ If there is no significant change in the three components, the war may move from the scenario of “war of attrition” towards the scenario of “frozen conflict” with first diplomatic talks “under pressure” happening already in 2024/2025. #foresight #Velsig
Posted by: 3dc ||
02/06/2024 08:28 ||
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Link ||
[30 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life,
#1
Want to know what Russia going to do: look at what Moscow rulers been doing for 800 years. And yes, Russia must have access to Baltic. Which means the Baltics either become friendly, or cease to exist as independent countries (given their current demographics, not a big stretch).
#2
^ Ahhh the Soviet embrace. At gunpoint. Russia will not have the Baltics
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 11:30 Comments ||
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#3
Russia plays for time using its influence in right & left political forces, eroding Western principles, norms & values through old and newly introduced instruments and tools of the Soviet playbook
Eroding Western principles, norms & values? Isn't that what our own elites are doing? We don't need Russians for enemies. We already have Obama, Biden, Soros, Schwab, Gates, Zuckerberg, etc., etc.,...
Posted by: Abu Laptop (same as Abu Uluque but on a different computer.) ||
02/06/2024 12:23 Comments ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Vladimir Kornilov
[RIA] The words “coup” and “rebellion” have become very popular among commentators on the situation in Ukraine. The further the open conflict between Vladimir Zelensky and General Valery Zaluzhny develops, the more often scenarios for the forceful removal of the Ukrainian president from his post are discussed.
“Zelensky will become a walking dead man for the army, which stands for the general. He will get a mutiny,” American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh quotes an unnamed Ukrainian official. “There could be a coup in Ukraine. Neither Nuland nor the CIA will be able to protect Zelensky if the right comes to power. They tolerated Zelensky only because of Zaluzhny,” says German businessman and popular blogger Kim Dotcom.
Former adviser to the President of Ukraine Oleg Soskin, in his video blog, draws historical parallels with the current situation, comparing Zelensky with the ideologist and leader of the Central Rada Vladimir Vinnychenko, and Zaluzhny with Ataman Simon Petlyura. Just one of these days will mark the 105th anniversary of the coup in the leadership of the UPR, when, at the direction of the Western allies (their wording was extremely frank: “Drive out like dogs!”), the ataman removed the once popular playwright Vinnychenko from power, taking on dictatorial powers. The wounded artist, from whom the head of the state did not emerge, went abroad, declaring: “I am leaving as a writer, but as a politician I want to die.” Petlyura continued the war with Soviet Russia, eventually surrendering Ukraine to the Poles. A classic scenario for this area!
It is no coincidence that former Verkhovna Rada deputy Andrei Derkach, who recently returned to the media space with accusations against Biden, also refers to the classics of the Ukrainian past. Analyzing the squabble between Zelensky, Zaluzhny and the sharply revived Poroshenko, he called it “the classic Ukrainian struggle for power of “three hetmans,” which we have seen many times in history: the hetman of Left Bank Ukraine, the hetman of Right Bank Ukraine, the hetman “wandering” abroad in search of support ". “In fact, Ze is being drained,” Derkach comes to the conclusion, speaking about the future fate of Zelensky.
Of course, in Ukraine all such arguments are dismissed, attributing them exclusively to “Russian propaganda.” But it is curious that on the pages of the British The Times at the same time an article appears by “expert on Russia and Ukraine” Mark Galeotti, who is difficult to suspect of playing along with Moscow. The title of his material alone is worth it: “The Ukrainian war has changed, so Zelensky must reinvent himself.” The author directly writes that the President of Ukraine has outlived his usefulness as a “military leader” and must do something to “adapt again” to changes at the front and in politics.
It also cites the words of a certain former Ukrainian diplomat: “The country sees that he is more of a leader than a politician - these qualities that made him indispensable in 2022 may not be so valuable in 2024.” A direct hint that now Zelensky can be replaced. Galeotti modestly keeps silent about who and how will change this “more leader than politician.” But, citing a British diplomat who worked in Kiev, he suggests that the corresponding changes will occur this spring. I wonder where the Briton got this information from? For some reason, analogies again arise with the call of the Europeans in 1919 to kick out the head of the then Ukraine “like a dog.”
When you consider all these conspiracy theories of overthrows and coups, you involuntarily ask the question: can Americans really agree to the forced removal from power of the man they recently idolized in 2022? It is enough to remember how Zelensky was received in the US Congress, and its speaker kissed his hands to drive away these thoughts. After all this, Washington cannot give the go-ahead for the overthrow of such an authoritative leader there, the Ukrainian Churchill!
But history knows many examples when Americans without hesitation eliminated their former allies. We have already mentioned the classic example of the assassination of an Asian Churchill approved by the United States in the 1960s - the leader of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, who faithfully served America. To understand how Americans feel about their allies, you don’t have to go far into history. Just look at how they are now bombing the territory of Iraq, their official “strategic partner.” There is no need to doubt that if the goals and objectives in Ukraine change, they will treat Zelensky and the entire Kyiv regime in exactly the same way.
Moreover, no one in the US leadership has any special illusions about the essence of this regime. According to the well-informed Hersh, last year the head of the CIA, William Burns, directly told Zelensky that Washington was aware of “his personal sins of corruption” and demanded that he moderate his appetite for dividing up the stolen goods. Judging by the campaign that then unfolded in the Western media against Zelensky, he misunderstood Burns’ warning.
So the United States probably has both a plan B and a plan C regarding the Ukrainian Churchill, who has fallen out of favor. If something happens, their hand will not tremble. And the only choice will be whether Zelensky will turn into a “wandering hetman” or follow the beaten path of the Asian Churchill.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Anatoly Savenko
[REGNUM] Judging by the situation today, resignation is already a done deal: The Washington Post writes that Kyiv has informed Washington of its intention to dismiss the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But the resignation itself has not yet taken place. This gave rise to a popular meme in Ukraine about “Schrödinger’s Zaluzhny.”
If Schrödinger’s cat is equally likely to be alive and dead, then the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is simultaneously acting and dismissed. Every day the media reports new details: “they fired” - “not yet”, “they will exchange for Syrsky!” - “no, it’s Budanov!”, “it’s all fake” - “no, they’ll be filming it very soon.” In general, a typical Ukrainian story. But still, there is a grain of truth in all this mouse fuss - otherwise the fuss itself would not exist.
WHY DO THEY KICK YOU OUT?
You can start from two events. Firstly, from the version that journalist Seymour Hersh published on his blog.
According to his column, the reason for the fuss around Zaluzhny was Zaluzhny’s alleged negotiations with representatives of the West on a ceasefire and some version of a truce with Russia. And all this behind Zelensky’s back and without prior discussion with him.
Well, that is, something like Himler in “17 Moments of Spring,” only here Stirlitz found out about everything and told Borman.
It is always difficult to prove such things, but there is nothing incredible in such conversations between Zaluzhny and the West.
Suffice it to recall Zaluzhny’s interview with The Economist, published in November 2023 : “As in the First World War, we have reached a level of technological development that baffles us <...> There will most likely not be a deep and beautiful breakthrough.” And since there won’t be a deadlock, then what? We need to negotiate.
Even if Hersh is mistaken and nothing like this happened, there is a second event, and it definitely happened: Zaluzhny’s article for CNN. Where he talks about the tasks for 2024.
At first glance, these are tasks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine: providing the army with high-tech equipment; a new philosophy of training and conducting combat operations; introduction of new combat capabilities. But if you think about it, all of the above goes far beyond the boundaries of his competence. Tasks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but only the one who is at the head of the state can set them and ensure their implementation.
It turns out that the article itself is already an open application for the Hetman’s mace.
Moreover, there have been conversations about this since the summer of 2023, and they are very much not in favor of Zelensky.
According to the results of a survey by the sociological group “Rating”, Zaluzhny is ahead of Zelensky in the trust rating. Moreover, the option “I completely trust” in relation to Zaluzhny was chosen by 63% of respondents, while only 39% of respondents answered this way in relation to Zelensky.
Trust does not equal votes in elections, therefore (according to the same group “Rating”) Zelensky in the second round of hypothetical elections gains more votes than Zaluzhny (42% versus 40%). But it should be more than 50%! Besides, 42/40 is practically parity. And that means Zelensky has an equal rival. And all this against the backdrop of the fact that Zaluzhny actually didn’t even mention his presidential ambitions officially.
The only question is, what did Zaluzhny do in order to equal Zelensky in popularity, becoming a threat to him? As often happens, Zelensky himself created the Zaluzhny problem.
WHY THEY LOVE YOU
To begin with, let us remember that it was Zelensky who made Zaluzhny commander-in-chief in 2021 on the advice of the head of his Office Andriy Yermak.
Secondly, the events of 2022 played to Zaluzhny’s advantage. Paradoxical as it may seem, the first year of the war was much more successful for the Ukrainian Armed Forces than the second. After all, then they managed (as a result of battles or retreat of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kyiv, Kharkov, and Kherson regions) to recapture 40 thousand square meters. km of territory. While in 2023 it will be a little more than 300 sq. km.
Thirdly, against the backdrop of the successes of 2022, Zaluzhny has turned from a general and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into a kind of symbol.
Musician Oisho BTZ dedicated a musical composition to him, and graffiti “God and Zaluzhny are with us” began to appear in cities (with Zelensky, we note, no such graffiti appeared). Ukrainian patriotic public pages distribute memes with Zaluzhny (mostly adaptations of memes about Chuck Norris).
At the same time, Zaluzhny himself is not very active in the media. The same Budanov is confidently ahead of him in the number of interviews distributed, although the position of head of intelligence does not imply publicity.
Zaluzhny’s appearance, origin, and career all play into his advantage.
Unlike Zelensky, Zaluzhny is a stereotypical “average Ukrainian”: a broad-faced, gentle joker. If you didn’t know that he was the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he could easily be mistaken for the owner of a tire repair shop in Novograd-Volynsky, where he is from. After school - technical school, then - Odessa Institute of Ground Forces, the path from platoon commander to commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He has soared high, but at the same time he is understandable and close to any Ukrainian. Closer than the artist and KVN member Zelensky.
Apparently, all these factors inflated Zaluzhny’s rating as a political figure. Zelensky himself completed the job.
According to a survey by KIIS, another Ukrainian sociological center, 72% of respondents would react negatively to the news about Zaluzhny being replaced by another general. Only 2% would support such a replacement.
Although this is not even the main thing.
The resignation frees Zaluzhny and not only relieves him of responsibility, but also deprives Zelensky’s Office of the opportunity to intrigue, putting negative pressure on the commander for military failures.
Somewhat reminiscent of the story of Klitschko’s election as mayor of Kyiv. As a politician and city manager, he was an absolute zero. And all the technologists asked him to do during the campaign: “Be quiet.” His personal rating was enough to win, and the main task was not to destroy this rating with stupid statements.
Zaluzhny will have approximately the same task: to remain silent and maintain his rating until the elections. And any disadvantages of Zelensky will be a plus for Zaluzhny. However, at one time Zelensky himself also received the presidential post. If he had frankly told voters what he was really going to do as president, he would still have remained a popular comedian.
[HILL] Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said "the U.S. is on an unsustainable fiscal path" in a "60 Minutes" interview with Scott Pelley released Sunday.
"The U.S. federal government’s on an unsustainable fiscal path. And that just means that the debt is growing faster than the economy. So, it is unsustainable. I don’t think that’s at all controversial," Powell said when asked if the national debt is a danger to the economy.
The U.S. national debt topped $34 trillion for the first time ever in early January, just over three months after surpassing the $33 trillion mark, according to data released by the U.S. Treasury.
Congress has punted on spending deadlines three times since the end of September as it grapples with how to fund the government amid tensions about the ballooning national debt.
Under the latest stopgap measure passed in January, funding for four federal agencies will expire on March 1. Funding for the rest of the government is set to run out on March 8.
President Biden and House Republicans faced off on the borrowing limit last spring, ultimately averting disaster days before the U.S. was set to default. But Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. credit rating from "AAA" to "AA+" in August, citing the increasing burden of the national debt and repeated partisan standoffs over the debt limit.
[Bloomberg via ZERO] "We are expecting an upward trajectory in the US equity markets," wrote Scott Bessent, a former Soros Fund Management investing chief as he bets on a "Trump rally".
"Barring Biden pulling ahead in substantial fashion, all pullbacks should be bought."
Bessent's bet appears well based as the polls (averaged by Real Clear Politics), Trump has a solid lead over Biden (although Biden - for some reason - saw a surge in the last few days?)...
[BPR] The president’s nomination for an ambassadorship was ripped by a former Green Beret as "just another slap in the face" to veterans following her role pertaining to the Afghanistan withdrawal.
One need look no further than Vice President Kamala Harris to see that failing up has been a consistent theme from President Joe Biden’s administration. In keeping with that, the commander-in-chief also demonstrated his apparent disconnect with the views of the military community as he nominated career State Department official Tracey Jacobson, 59, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq.
While Jacobson’s record included previous service as U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kosovo among other positions, her role in charge of the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 was viewed by veterans as a massive failure for allies in the region.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Scott Mann qualified the performance in seeing to the needs of as many as 150,000 allies that were abandoned as a "colossal embarrassment."
"The U.S. State Department role in all of this has been a colossal embarrassment and this promotion is just another slap in the face to the veteran population," the former Green Beret told the Mail. "Instead of being held to account and relieved her duties [Jacobson] was promoted."
"900 days after the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, U.S. veterans are still maintaining the lifelines to our U.S. Allies who face retribution, torture, and execution," he detailed.
Following the withdrawal that had included the tragic bombing death of 13 U.S. service members at the airport in Kabul, the SIV program was supposed to help allies that included translators and military personnel escape the Middle Eastern country as terrorists regained control
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 07:31 ||
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Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
I am ok with them giving her the Iraq post, but it would be good to create a special list of folks that it is fine to abandon in case of attack or evacuation. It will include most of the Biden crew.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/06/2024 11:06 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Team Brandon brings in The Closer.
I'd say if they don't have a go-bag already, this is last call.
[The Federalist] On Monday, X owner Elon Musk called out Congress’ "negotiated" border bill for what it really is: the first step in a long-term bid to grant illegal aliens the right to vote in U.S. elections.
Following weeks of behind-the-scenes scheming, congressional leadership released the text of the long-hidden $118 billion bill on Sunday evening that effectively enshrines President Biden’s open border policies into law and does more to secure other nations’ borders than America’s. Among the most outrageous provisions is a section guaranteeing illegal entry into the United States.
Under the proposed legislation, the secretary of Homeland Security may authorize a "border emergency" to "summarily remove" foreign nationals. However, that provision can only take effect if "there is an average of 4,000 or more aliens who are encountered each day" for 7 consecutive days, meaning that if such trends persist throughout the year, more than 1.4 million illegals, at a minimum, would be granted access to the United States. In December, the U.S. set a new record for the most single-day encounters at its southern border, with border patrol officials encountering more than 12,000 illegal aliens.
[Jpost] The Hannibal Directive is just one more reminder of the dangerous consequences of well-intentioned but ultimately misguided prisoner exchange policy.
Israeli reporter Ronen Bergman has claimed that IDF soldiers were told, during certain incidents on October 7, to prevent the kidnapping of Israel citizens or soldiers “at all costs.” The alleged directives were purposely ambiguous. In practice, the claim goes, it was understood that the forces would fire in those given scenarios with the goal of killing terrorists, even when clearly understanding that their fellow Israelis would inevitably also be killed.
These alleged incidents have been strongly criticized by Prof. Asa Kasher, author of the IDF’s first code of ethics. He notes that previous IDF chiefs of staff, including Shaul Mofaz and Benny Gantz, directed that there was no permission to target a hostage. The details of these allegations remain murky, but it pays to review the responsibilities of a government toward individual lives within the broader context of a military campaign intended to secure the broader collective.
Continued on Page 49
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
In memory of 'Tiny' and all those who gave their lives over Lockerbie, Scotland on 21 Dec 1988. May their sacrifice never be forgotten. 
[BPR] The president’s nomination for an ambassadorship was ripped by a former Green Beret as "just another slap in the face" to veterans following her role pertaining to the Afghanistan withdrawal.
[The Federalist] On Monday, X owner Elon Musk called out Congress’ "negotiated" border bill for what it really is: the first step in a long-term bid to grant illegal aliens the right to vote in U.S. elections.
