[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The British military and Europe's forces are in a parlous state with insufficient numbers and unsuitable armoured and soft skinned vehicle fleet.
What is certain is that Putin is well aware of our ever diminishing armed forces. He believes the West has lost the will to fight and that in no small measure has emboldened him to take the risks.
Politicians don't realise that dictators respect power and notice what nations do to their fighting forces and they have steadily over many years cut and cut our military.
Certainly, when one looks at the pathetic overall level of European defence spending it is not surprising that Putin takes heart.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
Yep — those Jewish Nazis are something else. See Politico article below.
[ColonelCassad] Lavrov responded to the plaintive proposals of Zelensky and his gang "to negotiate the neutrality of Ukraine and obtain guarantees."
Frankly speaking, Lavrov's answer pleased me pleasantly.
1. Russia is immediately ready to start negotiations after the Armed Forces of Ukraine lay down their arms.
2. Ukraine is waiting for demilitarization.
3. Ukraine is waiting for denazification.
4. Russia will no longer allow the Nazis to rule Ukraine.
That's literally all true. Too bad it's eight years later. But nonetheless. I would have subscribed to this in 2014, and I will subscribe now, especially in the issue of denazification.
Until there is readiness to comply with the demands of Russia, the fighting against the Nazi regime will continue, but judging by what is happening in Kyiv and the surrounding area (from the west, Russian special forces and armored vehicles are already very close), there is not so long left.
As for Zelensky's willingness to negotiate, Lavrov said that Zelensky was lying and he had already missed the opportunity for negotiations.
They will negotiate with the new representative democratic government of Ukraine (that is, with other people).
That is, the ultimate goal is to change the regime in Ukraine and turn Ukraine into something more adequate than it has been for the past 8 years.
[Politico] Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... on Thursday declared war on Ukraine and pledged to oversee a "demilitarization and de-Nazification" of the country — which is led by a Jewish president.
Hours before Putin’s televised address, Volodymyr Zelenskiy had delivered his own final, powerful but ultimately fruitless plea for peace, in which he pushed back at Putin’s unfounded accusations that Ukraine was being run by Nazis.
Addressing the Russian public directly and in Russian, his native language, Zelenskiy said: "The Ukraine on your news and Ukraine in real life are two completely different countries — and the main difference between them is: Ours is real. You are told we are Nazis. But could a people who lost more than 8 million lives in the battle against Nazism support Nazism?"
After a pregnant pause, Zelenskiy, who is Jewish — though he did not explicitly say that in the video — added: "How can I be a Nazi? Explain it to my grandfather, who went through the entire war in the infantry of the Soviet army, and died a colonel in an independent Ukraine."
The Ukrainian president has said that three of his grandfather’s brothers were killed in the Holocaust.
#4
He speaks of NAZI'S in Ukraine.
But his actions mimick Hilters acquisition German speaking Austria in 1939. An Biden is playing the role of PM Chamberlain.
A fair point, Mercutio. Even that one East German neo-Nazi gang leader a few years back who had his family tree or DNA done, learned he was 100% Jewish and was kicked out.
This really frosted my flakes. We've got Ukrainian kids throwing rocks at Soviet tanks, but our cultural elites can't hande the stress of reading about the Ukrainian kids fighting the Soviet tanks.
While we wait for more information, don't forget to care for yourself in other ways:
Breathe. If you're feeling your body contracting or overheating, step away from whatever you're doing and take a deep breath. Here's a five-finger breathing exercise that can bring you back to the moment. Or if you want to take it a step further, try these meditation and mindfulness exercises for beginners.
Nourish yourself. The kitchen is a safe space for a lot of us. Maybe this is the weekend that you finally re-create Grandpa's famous lasagna, or learn how to make a prettier pie, or maybe just lose yourself in some kitchen organization. Don't have every ingredient for that lovely Deb Perelman dessert?
Apparently she’s a chi-chi food blogger.
Don't stress — we've got you covered on how to make food substitutions, simple.
Stay connected. When the news is scary, it's easy to get lost in our own heads. Reach out to loved ones instead. That could look like sitting down to write an actual letter to a relative, spending time with neighbors, playing (or creating!) games with family, or even taking the time to write down those generational stories. If your little ones are struggling to go to bed at the end of the day, try talking to them about the heavy news head-on.. And blah blah blah. How soft and naive these folks are. Heaven forbid that a shortage of canapés develops.
Posted by: Matt ||
02/26/2022 00:00 ||
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[LiberationNews] The Russian military operation in Ukraine highlights that the world has reached a dangerous fork in the road. It is critically important for people in the United States, who are receiving the bulk of their information from the capitalist media that functions as an echo chamber for the U.S. government, to know that the current crisis is the byproduct of a long effort by the United States to establish absolute domination throughout Europe. The U.S. policy is aimed at undermining Russia’s security by surrounding it with advanced missiles that can reach their Russian targets in less than 10 minutes.
For the last three months, the Russian government simultaneously called for negotiations about their security concerns while at the same time amassing troops at the Russia-Ukraine border and at the border of Ukraine and Belarus. Putin announced that Russia would militarily intervene in Ukraine after the United States and NATO rejected their fundamental demands that Ukraine not be incorporated into NATO and that Ukraine, which shares a 1,200-mile border with Russia, not be used as a staging ground for advanced missiles that target Russia.
In essence, Putin and Russia were demanding that Ukraine be a neutral country and never a member of NATO. It was precisely through the territory of Ukraine that Russia was subjected to the Nazi invasion of World War Two and earlier invasions by Western powers. In World War Two, when Ukraine and Russia were one country (the Soviet Union), more than 27 million people died resisting the Nazi invasion of their homelands.
Continued on Page 49
#1
to know that the current crisis is the byproduct of a long effort by the United States to establish absolute domination throughout Europe.
Cause maybe twice in the previous century that same Europe dragged America into its unending tribal wars at the cost of hundreds of thousands of its citizens and resources that could have been more usefully employed at home.
#2
The quality of Russian trolls has really declined since M Ferret. How many devalued Rubles for a cut and paste job?
In case you were wonder WTH is PSL? Wikipedia:
The PSL, which initially had around 40 members, was formed when the San Francisco branch and other members left the Workers World Party in June 2004, announcing that "the Workers World Party leadership is no longer capable of fulfilling [the] mission" of building socialism. Its co-founders included Richard Becker and Gloria La Riva.
#3
Mutual defense agreements between sovereign nations are now imperialism?
Commies GFY.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
02/26/2022 19:14 Comments ||
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#4
The plight of ethnic Russians, especially those in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine....
Has the Ukraine actively prevented these folks from moving into Russia? Why didn't Putin just offer them cash to move and save his military.... oh, because that's just a cover story for the rubes.
[Jpost] Western leaders’ ignorance contributed to the Ukrainian conflict no less than Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, but his, unlike theirs, is self-destructive.
Ignorance, the weapon no spy can map and no bunker can hide – is the Ukrainian conflict’s ultimate victor.
Much has been said this week about Vladimir Putin’s version of Ukrainian history, and his dismissal of its right for self-determination.
Continued on Page 49
Putin's a big boy, and his imperialist dreams are his own. They weren't put in his head by anyone else.
Just once I'd like to see people admit that non-Americans have free will, and aren't just dancing to a mysterious tune we're playing but can't hear.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
02/26/2022 2:31 Comments ||
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#2
That's crazy talk, Rob.
Posted by: Matt ||
02/26/2022 8:34 Comments ||
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#3
Much has been said this week about Vladimir Putin’s version of Ukrainian history, and his dismissal of its right for self-determination.
Without having gone yet to Page 49, I can acknowledge that Ukraine and Russia have historically been the same country. However, there were so many horrible things that happened in the time of Stalin's collectivization of Ukrainian farms and in WWII that it might be better for everyone if they are divorced.
At the same time, I can understand Putin's paranoia when it comes to NATO troops in Ukraine.
Now imagine the sense of betrayal that Zelensky and other Ukrainians must feel. People like McCain and Obama encouraged them to believe they could become full-fledged members of the European Union and NATO but, now that push has come to shove, Brandon takes a nap in Delaware.
McCain should have known better than to make promises he could not keep. But then, Ukrainians should have known better than to believe him. I think the best solution would be for Ukraine to achieve a status similar to Finland, wary of the bear and careful not to provoke him but maintaining their independence. Might be too late for that now.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2022 14:40 Comments ||
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#4
" I think the best solution would be for Ukraine to achieve a status similar to Finland, wary of the bear and careful not to provoke him but maintaining their independence. Might be too late for that now." Oh, I like that thought. I wonder out loud Badanov's opinion on that.
#5
yeah, and Putin threatened Finland and Sweden for (smartly) considering NATO membership after his attempt to gobble Ukraine
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/26/2022 18:47 Comments ||
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#6
Don't buy the "NATO expansion frightened Putin" line for a minute. The issue is pure imperialism.
And if you think because Russia once ruled the Ukraine it should legitimately do so again, try telling the Irish they should be under British rule again.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
02/26/2022 20:06 Comments ||
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#7
For the sake of argument, stipulate that Putin is correct and Ukraine and Russia were once one nation and should be again. This would be satisfied if the joint nation were ruled from Kiev, right?
Posted by: james ||
02/26/2022 21:11 Comments ||
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#8
Oh, I like that thought. I wonder out loud Badanov's opinion on that.
[Washington Examiner] Inflation rose to the highest level in four decades in January in the gauge preferred by the Federal Reserve, increasing pressure on the central bank to move quickly to curb price gains.
Prices rose 6.1% in the year ending in January, according to the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index updated Friday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Inflation is up three-tenths of a percentage point from the month before and at a rate not seen since the end of the era of the Great Inflation in early 1982.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-24/ukraine-is-first-war-waged-amid-operating-nuclear-power-plants?cmpid=BBD022522_MKT&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=220225&utm_campaign=markets&sref=h5EZFUoq
The Fed's target for inflation, in comparison, is 2%, as measured by the same index. The major overshoot of inflation has forced Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to scramble to tighten monetary policy and led to accusations that the central bank is behind the curve. High prices have also led voters to sour on President Joe Biden's stewardship of the economy and hurt support for his proposals for new federal spending.
The price increases in January were driven in large part by a major rise in the cost of energy — more than a quarter over the course of the year, a phenomenon that has particularly hurt drivers paying more for gas. Food prices, too, rose nearly 7% over the course of the year.
[ZBlog] Luckily, MSNBC seemed to be in a commercial loop, so I broke free and went over to Fox News, which has fallen into an alternative reality. In this new reality, it is the year 2000 and the chicken hawks are at their zenith. Instead of Saddam Hussein as the next Hitler, it is Putin. They are all saying "Keev" now too. The amusing thing is that when these simpletons say it, they stumble, because they have not had enough time to practice saying this weird new word in front of the mirror.
Like the goofy English pundits on the BBC claiming to know the mind of Trump, the current pundits all claim to know the mind of Vladimir Putin. Of course, they tell us that he is the evil monster they need to justify the warmongering. You see, if Americans do not accept ten-dollar gasoline and breadlines, Putin will march all the way to Paris, just like you know who, in what always feels like yesterday for these people. You must sacrifice for their principles.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/26/2022 06:52 ||
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#1
Nice.
So, Keev is the new Mask Up?
Filling the audio spectrum with jabber to prevent conversation, absolutely. Getting my wife to turn off the tube and look around after week 4 of 2 weeks was a real Bergeron moment.
#2
Apparently, Tucker Carlson is the exception. A guy like Tucker lives like a serious lecturer employed by the traveling circus. Even if you like his content, it is hard to appreciate it over the sound of freaks and carnies.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/26/2022 18:12 Comments ||
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[PJMedia] According to the Canadian financial blog Armstrong Economics, the emergency powers activated by Justin Trudeau ...hereditary prime minister of the same country that once produced McKenzie King... to cripple the trucker protests have sparked panic among citizens, which could lead to a devastating financial crisis. On Feb. 14, Trudeau enacted the Emergencies Act, which enabled Canadian banks to freeze the assets of anyone who donated to protests against the vaccine mandates — without due process or any court action.
Trudeau then ordered the banks to unfreeze the accounts after the protesters had been cleared away. But what is reported to have happened after that is being ignored by the corporate press. Armstrong Economics says there was a stunning run on banks across Canada, as scared citizens are withdrawing their life savings and transferring it to foreign banks in the United States and elsewhere.
The sheer amount of money withdrawals from Canadian banks was massive. There appears to have been a 500% increase just in the previous 24 hours. This is the problem with politicians. They are simply UNQUALIFIED to make such decisions. They have no idea that freezing accounts will undermine the confidence in the banking system,
Trudeau has created a very serious crisis and just rescinding his Emergency Act is not going to make it all better. Trudeau has driven a stake through the heart of the Canadian economy and that means that international capital will be skeptical about trusting Canada as long a Trudeau is in power.
Personal anecdotes responding to the Twitter thread below also show that Canadians are having trouble removing their money from the banks, and that the feeling at the banks is very strange. One user said, "The bank TD; told me to come back Monday, my Daily cash withdrawal was denied Friday. I have taken out larger amounts everyday." Another said, "It is absolutely true. The lines were out the doors and a bank teller told me at one branch not to visit a specific branch because they had run out of funds that day. It’s very real. The energy inside the bank was clearly not good."
One of the protesters whose accounts were frozen announced his intention to withdraw all of his money from the Canadian banking system. "My bank accounts have been unfrozen," wrote Tom Marazzo. "Tomorrow I’ll close all of my BMO accounts after withdrawing my money." Several people have responded that they are doing the same.
PJ Media reached out to Scotia Bank to ask if they have put a $2,000 limit on withdrawals, as is being reported by customers on Twitter, but received no response by the time of publishing.
If it’s true that Canadians are panicking and withdrawing all their money from Canadian banks, then this is a huge story, and yet it’s one that the corporate media doesn’t seem interested in at all. There isn’t one report in any corporate press about any of this.
Jordan Peterson, famed Canadian philosopher, says he’s been in contact with a "reliable source" in the Canadian military who advised him to take his money out of the Canadian banking system because the situation is "far worse" than anyone is being told.
[Amac] A new report from Pew Research shows that the sharpest drop in approval for President Joe Biden is among the Democratic Party’s most loyal and consistent supporters — Black protestants.
In March 2021, shortly after he took office, Biden’s support among Black protestants stood at 92%. By January 2022, this was down to 65%, a drop of 27 points.
Over the same period, overall national approval for the president, per Gallup, was down from 54% to 40% — 14 points. About half the drop among Black protestants.
Other polls among all Black voters tell the same story.
An NBC poll shows Black approval for Biden dropping from 83% last April to 64% now. A Quinnipiac University poll shows Black approval during Biden’s first year in office dropping from 78% to 57%.
What’s going on? Should Democratic strategists be worried that a sea-change is occurring among voters on whom they could always most depend?
Trying to define some new grand reality is always a dangerous game in political analysis.
But what we can do is note two major areas of great concern to Black Americans where they have reason to be dissatisfied with the leadership they see in Washington.
[Western Journal] During a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16, 2018, then-President Donald Trump was asked whether he believed the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russians had meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help him win.
"I don’t see any reason why it would be. President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump replied, according to Reuters.
The backlash was quick and severe. The media reported that Trump had thrown U.S. intelligence agencies under the bus. He was Putin’s puppet. He was weak.
The president was attacked mercilessly even by members of the Republican Party.
Well, video from a NATO summit a few days earlier in Brussels shows, in spite of the massive condemnation that came his way following the news conference, it wasn’t Trump who was soft on Russia.
#1
From a few days ago: Trump talks about Putin, mocking Merkel and more at Mar-a-Lago
There are other stories making the rounds, too, and they are even more provocative. One has it that Trump — noting that Putin seized land from Georgia when George W. Bush was president and seized the Crimean peninsula when Barack Obama was president — warned Putin against a land grab on his watch.
“If you move against Ukraine while I’m president,” Trump is said to have told the Russian leader, “I will hit Moscow.”
Putin reportedly scoffed, “No way,” leading Trump to say, “All those beautiful golden turrets will be blown up.”
A similar story involves Chinese President Xi Jinping. It was during his visit to Mar-a-Lago in 2017 when Trump famously interrupted their chocolate cake dessert to declare he had just ordered the US military to fire 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base after the Syrian government used chemical weapons against rebels and civilians.
During that same visit, Trump reportedly told Xi that any military move against Taiwan would be met with an attack on Beijing. Xi, like Putin, is said to have been stunned, though it is possible neither man believed Trump was serious. While it is also possible that both accounts are exaggerated, it is a fact that neither man made the moves Trump is said to have warned against.
“I got along best with the tougher ones” is how he summarized his relations with foreign leaders.
[ShafaqNews] On Feb. 2, explosive-laden drones reportedly launched from Iraq targeted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi. A shadowy Iraqi group called Awliyat al-Waad al-Haq, the True Promise Brigades, grabbed credit, saying the attack was Dire Revenge for the UAE's policies in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... . Emirati air defenses successfully intercepted the drones before they could cause any casualties or damage.
That wasn't the first reported militia drone attack from Iraq against a regional country. A Jan. 23, 2021, drone attack against Saudi Arabia
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.
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
...hereditary prime minister of the same country that once produced McKenzie King...
