Don't Forget The Ukrainian Invasion Is Only One Week Old
It is hard to admit, but the world should really not get its hopes up too high for any sort of outcome in Ukraine other than the one Vladimir Putin initially set out to achieve. Putin wants to completely subdue and occupy Ukraine, which he sees as nothing more than a part of Russia. He will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. And although not inevitable, the most likely outcome by far is that Russia will completely crush the Ukrainian military and eventually conquer every city in the entire country.
It is very tempting to believe that this can somehow be avoided. In the first week, the Ukrainians have done far better than anyone ever believed they could have done. Russia's advance has slowed from a blitzkrieg to siege warfare. More Russian soldiers have been killed than anyone believed would happen. Russia still does not control the Ukrainian skies, as Ukraine's air defenses have proven more effective than predicted. Russia has actually only taken over a few towns and cities so far, and their advances have slowed -- and in some instances, have seemingly halted. The invasion is not going according to plan, obviously. That all engenders hope that somehow Ukraine will defy all the odds and win this conflict.
But if Putin remains in power (if the oligarchs or others don't assassinate or otherwise depose him), if the Russian people don't rise up en masse, and if the Russian army doesn't collectively lay down its arms and surrender, then given enough time Putin will achieve his goal. He has already shown he does not care what this victory costs him or his country. He will continue throwing enough bombs, missiles, soldiers, helicopters, and fighter jets at the remaining Ukrainian-held territory until the entire country has been subdued. He's got enough of these to do so, even if it's not an endless supply. If his war generals don't get the job done, he'll no doubt find better generals to take their place -- ones who will be open to increasingly ruthless and inhumane tactics. Given enough time, the entire country will be under the Russian bootheel.
Of course, almost the entire rest of the planet is cheering for the Ukrainians to win. The Ukrainians know this full well. This is why they feed all the stories of hope they can to the world. So far, the propaganda battle has largely been won by the Ukrainian side, mostly because a lot of it is true (or at least largely based on truth) and also because it is what everyone else wants to believe. But you do have to wonder about some of it. Today a rather extraordinary story broke, which (if actually true) would be downright astonishing, but is much more likely to be a psy-ops (or "psychological warfare") attempt to sow distrust at the highest levels of the Russian government. Here is how the Washington Post reported this story:
A recent alleged assassination plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was foiled over the weekend and the Chechen servicemen sent from Russia were "destroyed," a Ukrainian security leader said Tuesday.
Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said during a broadcast marathon airing on Ukrainian TV channels that officials were recently tipped off that a unit of Kadyrovites, elite Chechen special forces, was on its way to kill Zelensky. After Ukrainian officials were informed by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the Chechen special forces were killed Saturday on the outskirts of Kyiv, Danilov said.
"We are well aware of the special operation that was to take place directly by the Kadyrovites to eliminate our president. And I can say that we have received information from the FSB, who today do not want to take part in this bloody war," Danilov said. "And thanks to this, the Kadyrov elite group was destroyed, which came here to eliminate our president."
Last week, Putin broadcast a meeting of his cabinet where his spy chief (the head of the S.V.R., akin to our C.I.A.) only very reluctantly joined in the warmongering propaganda Putin was demanding of everyone in the room. This was astonishing, so the Ukrainian claim that the F.S.B. (which functions more like our F.B.I., and is the direct successor of the former K.G.B.) has now apparently actually switched sides in a treasonous break from Putin certainly could be a plausible development to some degree or another. But more likely this is an effort to spread paranoia and mistrust by Ukraine -- an attempt to get Putin to start doubting everyone around him, in other words.
The Ukrainians are using whatever tools they can to undermine the Russian war effort, which is entirely understandable. They broadcast videos of captured Russian soldiers badmouthing the war effort and saying how unprepared the Russian troops were for a real war and for the type of warfare it would require. This is intended to undermine support within Russia itself. And, again, it raises the world's hopes. Perhaps the Russian soldiers really don't want to fight this battle? Perhaps low morale will crush the Russian forces from within!
Add to that the seemingly glacial pace of the investment of Kyiv. We've all heard about that massive 40-mile-long convoy outside the city for days now, and yet they still haven't budged. Did they run out of gas? Are the troops mutinying against their leaders? Is it not a large enough force to take the city? Is that why they haven't even tried to do so yet?
This is all so tempting to believe, but these are all quite likely to be proven false hopes. They're more likely just waiting for other Russian troops to join them so they can more easily encircle the city and start the real siege phase.
Putin himself certainly doesn't seem to be having second thoughts. Or maybe this is just a Russian attempt at psy-ops to the rest of the world -- that could be. But here is what the head of France had to say today after speaking with Putin at length:
A phone conversation between President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Thursday offered little hope that the fighting in Ukraine would abate any time soon, with the Kremlin saying it had no intention of backing down from a war that "is going according to plan" and the French presidency warning that Mr. Putin appeared determined to invade the entire country.
"Our analysis of the military operations is that the Russian ambitions are to take control of all of Ukraine," said a senior official in the French presidency, who briefed reporters on the 90-minute conversation between the two leaders and said Mr. Macron expressed "pessimism" after the call.
Nothing is certain about the success of Russia's operations, but "we have to expect that the worst is to come," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in keeping with French government practice. "There is nothing in what President Putin said that should reassure us," the official added.
The Russian advance may be going slower than most (including Putin, no doubt) had anticipated, but it is still advancing. It is grinding its way forward on multiple fronts, as designed. Cities are being shelled with bombs, missiles, and artillery. Civilians are being targeted and are tragically dying. The Russian military is a lot bigger and better equipped than the Ukrainian forces, so they can afford to sustain more casualties and damage.
The costs are mounting for Putin. The only hope the world should really have is that these costs become to high for even him to sustain. That could happen in a number of ways -- the costs to the Russian economy (and all the oligarchs) could become too crushing to bear, or the attrition in the Russian military could start to threaten their ability to defend their homeland adequately (if more and more troops are sent into the battle from other places in Russia). Russian forces may face stiff resistance from areas they thought they already controlled, causing them to deploy more troops in occupation (rather than in the rest of the invasion's battles). The Russian people could rise up in anger over the sheer waste of the war, or over the crumbling Russian economy.
But short of Putin somehow being deposed, the chances are that no matter how costly and no matter how long a campaign it takes, he will indeed manage to subdue Ukraine. After all, the war is only one week old. Most wars are not made for television, or follow a two-hour movie script complete with happy ending. Wars can take years to be resolved. And so far, Putin appears to not care if it does turn into a long-haul effort.
This is not a cheerful thing to contemplate, obviously. But every day that Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands it will become more and more tempting to believe that somehow the favored underdogs are going to miraculously win. Russia could ultimately fail to hold Ukraine in any meaningful way -- that is certainly a plausible possibility. A resistance could eventually wear down even Putin's will to keep fighting -- but that is only likely to happen after the invasion itself is complete. All I am cautioning is for everyone to take a longer view of this horrible war than cheering every positive development in every news cycle. Because while nothing is certain and no outcome inevitable, Russia eventually succeeding in its invasion is still the most likely by far than any of the more-hopeful possibilities.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
I don't really know much about how Ukraine came to be what it is today, but have heard thet Putin actually has some arguments in his favor. For example, I've heard that a very large number of Ukranians are pretty much identical (language, customs, heritage, etc.) to what the Russians are, and some of the ethnic Russians appear to be happy to join Russia.
Well I do, being as all my grandparents came from Ukraine. If you think the two languages having different words for "yes" and "no", that is.
The farther east you go in Ukraine the higher the percentage of ethnic Russians, but polling indicates that they're not interested in joining Russia. Polling probably conducted before Russia invaded.
Yeah on this there's plenty of blame to go around. From Chechnya to Crimea Putin has slowly been boiling the frog of the Soviet Reunion, and every single president from Bush to Biden has failed to see it coming.
No wait, even further back. Bill Clinton even.
Bill Clinton, especially!
And, even Bush I ...
Joshua,
Here is an interesting read ...
Gorbachev, Bush and NATO Enlargement
Biden et al. are always talking about how it is the sovereign right of countries to choose their own alliances.
Well, so it is the right of all alliances to choose their members, right?
Ukrainian membership in NATO, all things considered, should be a bridge too far.
Of course, it's too late for that kind of logic now.
That Russian convoy outside of Kiev is a veritable sitting duck.
Where is the Ukrainian air force?
and if the Russian army doesn't collectively lay down its arms and surrender
Heh.
Well, that was a little joke, right?
[8]
Ukrainian membership in NATO, all things considered, should be a bridge too far.
Yeah, Putin likely thinks likewise. All of the sudden a majority polled in Sweden and Finland now favor NATO membership, so I guess that didn't work out so well.
Caddy,
This war is going to end by way of negotiations with the end result being a Ukraine-free NATO.
Which actually could have and should have prevented the war.
As for Finland, they must be joking!
@russ,
Michale, with a single post, I shut down over 50+ posts from you! That’s gotta hurt!
Whatever you have to tell yourself to make it thru your sad and pathetic cop-hating life, rush..
The simple fact is, just as with EVERYTHING you post, this claim has absolutely NO FACTS to back it up..
Ya lost again, rush.. You are a luser again.. You will always be a luser..
CRS,
I don't really know much about how Ukraine came to be what it is today, but have heard thet Putin actually has some arguments in his favor.
Yes he does.. Putin/Russia definitely has some legitimate concerns..
So do the Palestinians..
But, like the Palestinians, how Putin CHOOSES to address these legitimate concerns is what makes him morally, ethically and legally in the wrong..
@JL,
Yeah on this there's plenty of blame to go around. From Chechnya to Crimea Putin has slowly been boiling the frog of the Soviet Reunion, and every single president from Bush to Biden has failed to see it coming.
Bullshit..
President Trump saw it coming.. That's why he authorized lethal aid to Ukraine when all Odumbo and your Democrats wanted to send was band-aids and blankets..
That's why Putin wasn't froggy when President Trump was in office...
Stick with the facts...
Let's talk FACTS here...
Russians Announce US-Iran Deal as Tanks Roll Across Europe
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/russians-announce-us-iran-deal-as-tanks-roll-across-europe/
Basement Biden is still buying Putin's oil, giving Putin BILLIONS for his Ukraine war machine..
Basement Biden is STILL joined at the hip with Russia for that heinous Let's Give Iran Nukes deal...
Basement Biden is giving Putin what Putin craves most..
Legitimacy...
On a personal note..
I would like to wish my lovely beautiful wife a very happy 40th Anniversary.. :D
I couldn't have done it without ya, babe.. :D
This war will end with Putin's boot on Ukraine's throat and Putin in charge of Ukraine.. THAT is the "negotiation" part.. :^/
And yes.. Ukraine will not be joining NATO.. Ukraine will be joining Russia..
But if anyone here actually believes that a pledge from Ukraine not to join NATO would have stopped Putin??
Well, I would say those people need to add a brain cell or two.. :^/
Fear Of Donald Trump Kept Putin From Invading Ukraine.
Here’s How Trump Pulled It Off
Trump not only successfully deterred Russia from acting against Ukraine, he effectively deterred a lot of bad behavior across the planet.
Arecent Harvard-Harris poll found that 62 percent of Americans believe that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump were still in the Oval Office. As former senior intelligence officials under President Trump, we agree with that view.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 when George W. Bush was president. Russia took Crimea in 2014 when Barack Obama was president. Russia has now invaded Ukraine with Joe Biden as president. However, when Donald Trump was president, Russia did not seize territory from any of its neighbors.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/03/03/fear-of-donald-trump-kept-putin-from-invading-ukraine-heres-how-trump-pulled-it-off/
^^^^^ Documented FACT....
President Trump was able to accomplish what Odumbo and Biden could not do..
President Trump was able to tame Putin.. Keep Putin neutered...
During his four years in office, Trump not only successfully deterred Russia from acting against Ukraine, he effectively deterred a lot of bad behavior across the planet. He focused on ending America’s foreign wars rather than launching new ones. At the same time, he brokered the Abraham Accords to expand peace in the Middle East.
The exercise of American power to deter adversaries is a complicated business. It involves a mix of military, economic, political, and diplomatic strategies and actions that together communicate the costs of threatening U.S. national interests.
Ultimately, the art of statecraft boils down to whether a president projects American strength that deters adversaries, or projects American weakness that emboldens our adversaries.
Exactly...
President Trump = America's Strength
Biden/Odumo/Democrats = America's Weakness
Under Biden, America is weak and powerless to stop Putin...
Again.. DOCUMENTED FACT...
So how did Trump succeed in containing Putin while the Russian autocrat has run wild with others in the White House? Why was he so successful at spreading peace elsewhere? We believe the long answer begins with these ten ways that Donald Trump projected American strength and kept the bad guys in check:
Rebuilt the American Military
Crusaded for American Energy Dominance
Set the Tone by Launching Surgical Missile Strikes in Syria in Early 2017
Developed Strong Relationships with Middle Eastern Nations Based on Mutual Interests
Was Ruthless with the Taliban While Winding Down the Afghanistan War
Crushed the ISIS Caliphate
Demonstrated a Consistent Willingness to Take out the Bad Guys
Stood Up to China
Strategically Used Unpredictability as an Asset in Foreign Affairs
Advanced Tough Russia Policies and Provided Lethal Aid to Ukraine while Maintaining an Open Dialogue
I would add to that list that President Trump held NATO accountable and made NATO live up to it's responsibilities..
NATO today is STRONGER thanx to the efforts of President Trump..
Again.. Documented FACT...
When President Trump initiated the process of ending America’s longest war, senior officials huddled in the Situation Room to discuss tactical challenges on the ground. The president reminded the group of America’s humiliating withdrawal from Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, and said we must do whatever it takes to leave in a safe, orderly, and dignified way. When military leaders bemoaned the costs and logistical challenges of bringing home our equipment, the president said that he did not care if it was a helicopter or a styrofoam cooler. If it had an American flag on it, it was either coming home or getting destroyed to keep it from falling into the hands of our enemies. He vowed that we would leave on our terms, or we would not leave at all.
And THAT is leadership, people...
Compare and contrast that to Basement Biden's HUGE incompetence...
Tragically, President Biden’s approach – which included the decision to abandon the strategically important Bagram Air Base prior to the evacuation – cost the lives of 13 American servicemembers and led to the Taliban parading victoriously through Kabul with billions of dollars of American combat equipment. The administration’s stunning incompetence – detailed in an official U.S. Army report – made the United States look weak and vulnerable on the world stage, and Putin was watching.
Putin's foray into Ukraine was a DIRECT RESULT of Basement Biden's weak and incompetent "leadership" in Afghanistan..
Once again.. This is documented FACT..
I realize that none of ya'all have actually served in the US Military... So ya'all couldn't possibly understand how utterly FRAK'ED Basement Biden did in Afghanistan...
Basically, Basement Biden green-lighted Putin to go into Ukraine and green-lighted Xi to move on Taiwan..
The ONLY unknown is whether Xi will move into Taiwan before the mid-terms to avoid facing a GOP-laden Congress....
The world took notice when Trump ordered the killing of Iranian terrorist general Qassem Soleimani, who had operated with impunity throughout the Middle East until the U.S. military sent two Hellfire missiles through his vehicle. As a candidate for president, Biden released a statement condemning the righteous attack as a “hugely escalatory move” that brought us to “the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East.” This, of course, proved to not be the case, but it illustrated Biden’s unwillingness to do what it takes to establish credible deterrence.
This principle of deterrence applies across the globe, which explains why the Chinese military has sent a record number of airplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone since Biden took office.
Putin knows how weak Basement Biden and the Democrats are..
Xi knows how weak Basement Biden and the Democrats are..
The WORLD knows how weak Basement Biden and the Democrats are..
A just and lasting peace can ONLY be established where there is strength...
Under Basement Biden and the Democrats, the US will never know any kind of peace..
To the specific case at hand, Trump was much tougher on Russia than the media have led people to believe, while Biden has been far softer.
Trump deployed such aggressive sanctions against Russia that President Obama’s Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called them the toughest in history, and he withdrew from one-sided treaties that hamstrung the U.S. while Russia violated the terms.
Remember Robert Gates, Odumbo's SecDef???
He's the one who nailed Basement Biden perfectly..
"Biden has been WRONG about every foreign policy issue of the last 4 decades.."
Basement Biden continues to prove the prescience of Robert Gates' words... :^/
Biden has taken the opposite approach, appeasing Putin by handing him his top two geopolitical priorities on a silver platter. He unconditionally extended the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, allowing Russia to continue building tactical nuclear weapons while constraining our ability to modernize. And while Trump imposed sanctions to stop Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline in its tracks, construction was allowed to resume when Biden took office.
Basically, Basement Biden is Putin's stooge in the White House..
President Trump understood the power of building American energy dominance. By slashing onerous regulations, Trump sparked an American energy boom that ensured we would never be reliant on any other nation to meet our energy needs. Geopolitically, America’s increased export capacity reduced Putin’s leverage over our European allies, who depend on Russia for 40 percent of their gas and more than a quarter of their oil.
Trump approved the Keystone XL oil pipeline at home and shut down Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Eastern Europe. Biden reversed both decisions, meaning he has been harder on America’s energy producers than he has been on Russia’s. To add insult to injury, as the Russian army pushed into Ukraine, Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry hoped aloud that “President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate.”
The FACTS are clear... Basement Biden weakened America and strengthened Putin..
Going so far as to provide BILLIONS of dollars to Putin's Ukraine war machine..
And AGAIN... Documented FACT...
Vladimir Putin’s appetite for expansion did not wane during the four years Trump was in office, and the world was not just miraculously a safer place. Bad actors like Putin simply knew that they had to restrain themselves or deal with the consequences. In nearly every way possible, President Biden has weakened the United States and our allies and empowered Putin. As a result, Russia is on the march, even as the Ukrainian people have inspired the world with their courage and resilience. And in the wings, America’s greatest threat – Xi Jinping’s China – waits, and watches.
The facts are clear..
President Trump was a LEADER who knew how to handle bullies like Putin and keep them in check..
Basement Biden is feckless and incompetent.. Senile and dementia-ridden...
The ONLY real question is how much damage will Biden and the Democrats do before President Trump returns to office in Jan of 2025...
It's clear that Taiwan is going to go to China.. Basement Biden doesn't have the will to stop China..
Basement Biden doesn't have the will to stop Russia..
Basement Biden doesn't have the will to do right by America..
Oh, and Liz?? Just for the record..
When you failed to condemn racist cad's racist comments...
When you failed to condemn homophobic vick's homophobic comments...
You disrespect the Weigantian™ administration and all of Weigantia™..
So please.. If you want to talk about disrespect...
Clean up your own house first...
And just when you thought Democrats could NOT sink any lower into the depths of their own self-absorption...???
Stacey Abrams Compares Dem Push for Loose Voting Laws to Ukrainian Struggle against Russia: ‘War on Democracy’
In Ukraine, death count estimates vary. The Ukrainian government claims that over 2,000 civilians and 21 children have perished in a little over a week of fighting, but acknowledges that “there is no exact figure.” The United Nations has confirmed 227 civilian and 13 child deaths, but concedes those are undercounts.
The Russian invasion, which has included the shelling of civilian areas, oftentimes with dangerous cluster munitions, has also a refugee crisis. One million Ukrainians have fled their country over the course of the past week.
Kemp campaign press secretary Tate Mitchell responded to Abrams’s comments by telling the Daily Mail that “this is a disgusting comparison. President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people are fighting for their freedom against a callous invasion that has killed innocent civilians.”
“Stacey Abrams is a political opportunist who has lined her pockets on lies about common-sense election integrity measures like voter ID,” continued Mitchell.
https://tinyurl.com/26zfsvmh
Only a low-information voter with less than 2 brain cells to rub together would support Stacey BIG LIE Abrams...
What shall we talk about now??
Oh I know..
The Most Dangerous Lame Duck in History?
With Democrats’ likelihood of retaining control of Congress slipping away, an astonishingly low approval rating, and more than half of Democrat voters saying they want someone else on their party’s ticket in 2024, Joe Biden may already be a lame duck president by year’s end. But that isn’t likely to stop the radical policies emanating from the White House – and may only encourage the embattled president to double down on his destructive progressive overreach to cement his imagined “legacy.”
https://amac.us/the-most-dangerous-lame-duck-in-history/
Imagine that..
Barely a year into his administration, Basement Biden is already a lame-duck POTUS..
Only a Democrat could fail so miserably... :D
After taking office last January, Biden quickly pivoted from his campaign message of “unity” and “bipartisanship” to a hardcore left-wing agenda. On day one, he passed a slew of executive actions rescinding many of President Trump’s successful policies, including a moratorium on oil and gas exploration on public lands, canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline, and turning the southern border into a nightmare.
Every thing that President Trump did that was good for this country and good for the world??
Basement Biden un-did on day one..
What a complete and utter senile dementia-riddled moron Basement Biden is..
The infrastructure bill, the only remotely bipartisan (and even that is debatable) major legislative initiative passed this Congress, was only ever on the table because Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer had promised to ram through Biden’s massive $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” bill immediately after – something which was only blocked thanks to Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) realizing that passing the bill would amount to political suicide.
The *ONLY* thing Basement Biden could accomplish that was (barely) good for the country is the BiPartisan Infrastructure Bill.
And Basement Biden had to have GOP help to accomplish even THAT much!!!!
How hilarious is that!?? The ONLY thing that Basement Biden can point to that was (barely) good for this country, Basement Biden and the Democrats COULDN'T have accomplished without the GOP!! :D
All of that, however, may pale in comparison with what Americans might expect from a lame duck Democrat Congress and a Democrat president who know that his party may not regain undivided power for a long time. Even if Republicans do win back the majority in November’s midterms, Democrats will still have unified control of government for two months before Republicans take control in January. That’s a long time for Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Joe Biden to go for broke – literally.
With a historically weak president in the White House, an unfavorable Senate map in 2024 and 2026, and a potentially huge Republican majority to overcome in the House, Democrats could potentially be out of power for several electoral cycles, increasing the urgency to pass their progressive agenda while they still can. Moreover, given their age and the growing opposition within the Democratic Party to older, white leaders, it’s highly unlikely that Pelosi, Schumer, or Biden will ever be in such a position of power again – further incentivizing a radical final act from the three.
Nothing is more dangerous than a wounded wild animal..
And Democrats, politically speaking, are going to be the biggest wounded animal on the face of the planet..
Imagine what an America hating wounded and decimated and vindictive Democrat Party is going to do to this country to get even with the American people...
DH,
It's not like Biden had a choice on his destructive progressive overreach and hardcore left wing agenda.
Sure he did.. He could have said "Screw The Democrat Party!! I am going to do what is right for the country!!"
Unless you are advocating the idea that Basement Biden IS senile and dementia-riddled and is simply a puppet.. A figure-head... Then that makes sense..
Bernie, Warren and the squad pushing Biden hard to the right instead of joining Biden's left wing agenda was not enough to overcome the Parlimentarian, Manchin and Sinema demanding left wing action. :D
I doubt anyone could characterize Manchin's and Sinema's country saving actions as "left wing".. :D
The possibilities are truly frightening. In a last-ditch effort to save their Senate Majority, Democrats might try and add Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as states. Democrats might also be inclined to try again on a federal takeover of elections, or even some of the various progressive provisions of Biden’s Build Back Better Act, the Green New Deal, or other extreme left-wing priorities.
Some of these prospective legislative initiatives might be blocked by Senators Manchin and Sinema, two Democrats who have shown they are not afraid to buck their party – in part because they themselves have tough reelection bids looming in 2024.
Hopefully Manchin and Sinema can reign in the anti-America elements of the Democrat Party..
Nonetheless, the White House will still be in Democrat hands for at least another two years after November’s elections, and with the growth of presidential power in recent decades, Biden still can enforce the woke agenda from the top-down. If Biden decides that his chances – or those of a potential successor – are doomed in 2024, he might happily jump off the liberal deep end in a bid to convince himself and others that his legacy is that of a martyr for progressive causes. As counterintuitive as it may be, a Democratic wipeout in the upcoming midterms could end up convincing the President to govern even more liberally.
In this case, it would likely be up to the courts to counteract any abuse of power from the executive branch. Already since Biden has taken office, judges have stepped in to block Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors as well as to order Biden to continue President Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy. Such actions would likely become more common under a lame duck Biden presidency. States would also still have some recourse to counter Biden’s actions, as has been seen in places like Florida and Texas.
In short, Americans would be wise to continue holding Democrats accountable, even in the event of a Republican victory this November. The most dangerous government is an unwatched one, no matter if they have one day or one year left in power.
The MOST dangerous time for this country is going to be Nov & Dec 2022...
Having just lost Congress by WIDE Margins and knowing that they will likely be in the minority for the coming decades, Democrats might go for broke and totally screwing over America and Americans..
And once again.. The ONLY OFFICIAL news source for unobjective and unbiased news in Weigantia™..
Joe Manchin Introduces Bill With Republicans To Ban Russian Oil: "This Is, In Many Ways, An Energy War"
A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski introduced a bill Thursday that seeks to ban energy imports from Russia, in response to their invasion of Ukraine.
"We do it cleaner than anybody else. We do it in a better fashion than anybody else. And we have the ability with a reserve to do much more during this crisis," he said about energy production.
"This is, in many ways, an energy war, and we need to treat it with that kind of gravity," Manchin said.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/03/03/joe_manchin_bill_with_republicans_to_ban_russian_energy_imports.html
The mere fact that Basement Biden wants to continue funding Putin's Ukraine war machine simply proves how badly Democrats are fraking things up..
If Basement Biden and the Democrats were REALLY serious about hurting Putin, they would follow President Trump's lead and make the US energy independent again..
But Basement Biden and the Democrats won't do that because then they would have to admit that they were wrong and President Trump was right..
And Basement Biden and the Democrats would rather see America burn than admit that President Trump was right... :^/
No one could characterize Manchin and Sinema's actions as left wing?
Why not?
Because, by definition, Left Wing = Anti America
Manchin's and Sinema's actions are PRO-America...
Ergo, by definition, Manchin's and Sinema's actions are not Left Wing...
It is exactly the same as characterizing Biden's actions as progressive overreach and a hard core left wing agenda.
In what way??
Both statements are completely contrary to reality.
For example...????
cutting the military budget by at least 50%,
This tells me you are not serious..
Given what is going on in the here and now, such defense cuts would be suicide...
Did you not see the next paragraph?
Talk about not being serious!!!!
Cutting US defense spending by 50% is simply not possible..
You do that?? The US will cease to exist..
, cutting military spending and using the money and resources for positive purposes is the best way to provide defense for our country by reducing the need for defense and not cutting military spending is suicide.
And Russia and China will... What?? Just leave us alone??
Com'on, DH.. I know for a fact you are smarter than that...
As I am wont to do, I have to concede that I was wrong about German lack of support for sanctions..
Germany seems to be not as far into Putin's pocket as I first thought..
It's still a fact that Germany is the least enthusiastic member of the anti-Putin coalition... It's not going to take much for Germany to fracture the anti-Russia alliance..
But, for now, Germany is a little more enthused than they first indicated..
Yes. Russia and China will leave us alone.
Based on what??
And are you willing to bet your life, the life of your loved ones and the life of your country on that??
At least half of military spending has nothing to do with defense. That is the half we cut.
The other half is enough to deter Russia and China.
And your VAAST military experience tells you this?? Com'on, DH.. It's this kind of military ignorance I expect from racist cad...
And the half we cut and spend to improve conditions will make for less opportunities for Russia, China or US to exploit dysfunctional countries as there will be less dysfunctional countries.
You assume that Russians and Chinese think like you do..
I can assure you, based on personal experience and training..
You are wrong..
Kamala Harris slammed for focus on Equality Act amid Russian invasion: 'This is what they care about'
In addition to the war, critics cited rising inflation and the ongoing border crisis while questioning Harris' focus
https://www.foxnews.com/media/kamala-harris-slammed-focus-equality-act-war-europe
What IS it about Democrats that they are so completely and utterly TONE DEAF???
Live Web Cam of Kiev, Ukraine..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfyo8eO-sbs
Michale [46]
Germany has a serious case of "mixed emotions" on Russia. Because they have no access to oil of their own, and because they were stupid enough to needlessly panic over the Japanese tsunami nuclear disaster and shut down their own nuke plants, they find themselves way short of affordable energy, something which Russia has in abundance and is happy to sell them.
You can hardly blame them for their "mixed emotions", but you can sure blame them for being stupid about nuclear.
@CRS
Germany has a serious case of "mixed emotions" on Russia. Because they have no access to oil of their own, and because they were stupid enough to needlessly panic over the Japanese tsunami nuclear disaster and shut down their own nuke plants, they find themselves way short of affordable energy, something which Russia has in abundance and is happy to sell them.
You can hardly blame them for their "mixed emotions", but you can sure blame them for being stupid about nuclear.
Word....
Why REAL soldiers do what they do...
http://mfccfl.us/Soldier.jpg
For country....
But above all else... For family...
No one here can understand that...
DH,
Decades of experience following our political process is what tells me at least half of our military spending has nothing to do with defense.
Unless you have worn the uniform of this country..
You are speaking from ignorance..
Just like everyone else here..
So, instead of joining NATO...
Ukraine is going to join the EU....
Huh...for once I actually agree with Don...
I have never played professional football, yet I still understand it.
You can never understand it as a FOOTBALL PLAYER understands it..
Oh sure, you know what it's like to WATCH it.. You can READ about it and know all the "rules"...
But until you have actually BEEN on the field, all the little subterfuges and strategies and hits and broken bones and blood...???
You are completely IGNORANT of it...
You know THEORY... You know book learning... You can PRETEND to know what you are talking about..
But, in actuality...??? You don't know shit..
And the fact that you CLAIM to know shit?? Makes your ignorance all the more laughable and pathetic..
You basically play Call Of Duty and then claim you know all about the military...
Laughable...
@bashi,
Huh...for once I actually agree with Don...
Which simply proves you are as ignorant and as pathetic as he is..
Michale,
You are ignorant and pathetic? Well, that clears up a lot...
@bashi,
You are ignorant and pathetic? Well, that clears up a lot..
Ahh yes.. The I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I rebuttal..
Adults usually give up that debate tactic in the 3rd grade...
Glad to see yer still as "smart" as ever.. :^/
Don Harris
57
Hey... I actually agree with Bashi that for once I actually agree with Don.
Some of the most intelligent people you will ever meet have worn the uniform of our country. On the other hand, some of the most ignorant people I've ever had occasion to communicate with are those who have also worn the uniform. Of course, there was actually only one of them who was ignorant enough to keep claiming his "military expertise" yet proving without question the total lack thereof -- and lack of any common sense, for that matter -- by claiming:
*
Gullible much!? Rhetorical question.
My crew and I still haven't stopped laughing at that yet. A so-called soldier who would actually claim "military expertise" while regurgitating that lunatic-level senseless right-wing drivel and spew that "ZERO" soldiers died in a theater of war the size of Afghanistan in an 18-month period of time.
I have retold that nugget of "expertise" now about a dozen times to different groups of veterans. Some of them have laughed so hard we had to pass out "Kleenex." <-- Shout out to Russ.
Debate point to Don Harris. :)
Michale [62]
Boring...
Michale
59
And the fact that you CLAIM to know shit?? Makes your ignorance all the more laughable and pathetic..
This is the exact dynamic behind multiple groups of career military veterans laughing so hard at your so-called "military expertise" that they cried.
This morning I got a request to "tell that story again about the idiot." I smiled that impish grin of mine as I am wont to do, and everyone fell out in the floor laughing. :)
For the record, I served Murica in our US Army. I don't think poon is a Vet because I never met a Veteran who would base their entire happiness in life on being able to "own the Libs." Once you've had a sniff of the military you set aside such foolish things.
MtnCaddy
66
I know, right!?
He once kept bragging about him being an expert on nuclear "ordinance"... nuclear "ordinance" this and nuclear "ordinance" that. Have you ever met an actual expert on ordnance who would confuse the term "ordinance" with "ordnance"? Nope!
Poon is "that guy" who has spent more time bragging about his self-proclaimed "military expertise" than actual time in service. You know "that guy," MtnCaddy?
Soldiers and career veterans who have spent any real time in service simply do not speak like that, and their medical insurance is TRICARE and not some namby-pamby bullshit.