OK, so the US is a malign influence when it comes to addressing Russia’s aggression. Trump has an inexplicable admiration for Putin. That story is well known. But what about Europe? Where is the coalition of the willing? Why are they not doing more when this war is in their own backyard? It feels like they are dithering and rearranging the deck chairs while the Titanic sinks.
The population of NATO countries not including the US, Canada and Turkey (I'm not sure why I excluded it other than to emphasize my point) is roughly 500 million. Russia's population is about 150 million. Russia's conventional forces have been revealed to be kind of a joke in its war against Ukraine. Putin is in the process of having Russia commit demographic suicide.
All this is to say I agree with you. Europe should want to push back much more forcefully against Russia to both deter Russia and show the US it can wear the big boy pants.
I have been ashamed of our (the US's) response from the beginning of this war, but once again Europe comes up wanting big time.
Well said Bruce. I have also been extremely disappointed in the US response, including from the Biden administration when it tied Ukraine’s hands by not allowing them to fully use weapons we were supplying them with (this is for the ATACMS missiles, which the Biden administration finally reversed near the end of 2024; not clear what constraints the current admin re-imposed or not).
Putin clearly doesn’t care about his own population, which still largely supports the war from what I understand. But given the control Russia exerts over the media, I’m sure the general public in Russia has no clue about what’s really going on.
Furthermore, does anybody really believe Putin will stop his crusade if he were to be given the territories he’s demanding for a cessation of hostilities? Europe should know this better than the US.
I admit that my perspective is from the outside looking in, but it feels like Europe has not been acting with the sense of urgency the situation requires, especially given the complete abdication from the US. We’re rapidly approaching the 4 year anniversary since the full-scale invasion and if anything, it seems Putin is emboldened by US indifference, or tacit support.
Yeah! What about those guys!? Didn't they call themselves a beacon of Democracy, a shining city on the hill?!!
Oh. No. Never mind.
DO NOT TRY TO MASK OUR DISGRACE WITH 'WHAT ABOUTISM'. OUR DEFENSE OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL DISGRACE SINCE WE LET PUTIN TAKE CRIMEA. WE LET HIM HAVE PERMISSION FOR THAT BY LETTING HIM INVADE GEORGIA.
Just an fyi for those wishing to support Ukraine. I am giving $100 today and have given in the past to United 24, the Ukrainian governments outreach for both humanitarian and military support. https://u24.gov.ua/ I am also concerned since I sponsor two families of Ukrainian war veterans that are here on Humanitarian Parole which Trump has been threatening. He has already eliminated HP for a number of countries in Latin America, though as of yet has not from, Ukraine. When I sponsored the families it was for 2 years, which is the standard, so they are due for recertification soon.
A paucity of attention and an abundance of apathy on the part of America and the world. All it takes to enable atrocities is for men of good will to remain silent, or passive--- which is what we're doing. By not resisting, we're assisting in the massacre. If President Trump were to demonstrate assertiveness over Putin instead of this sickening sycophancy -- a couple of Tomahawks aimed at Putin's drone factories and another at the missile launch sites with the compliments of DJT--- should do the job of pushing Putin to comply with the ceasefire he touts and behave!
What are the strategies for war? It's not that we don't have the right answers, but that it's the wrong question. Get rid of our administration in favor of something better than any we've had, where we get humanity on a course where we can celebrate our magnificence instead of struggling with our infamy. Here are my game plan ideas:
Just wanted to reminisce that, in the end, 1) Hitler died in a dark bunker, violently, by his own hand 2) Mussolini ignominiously by Communist partisans (or was it the mob?) and his body pelted with rotten vegetables, and 3) Stalin, <cough> peacefully <cough, cough>--conveniently, just at the moment he was preparing for another round of purges.
Note to Witkoff: Things didn't turn out so hot for Ribbentrop either.
TRIGGER WARNING - Forgive me Jesus, if Trumpers were dolphins…I would hope all MAGA drowned…proverbially, that is what the political world needs NOW…thousands of innocent human beings still cannot be reached for comment in the Ukraine since “Day Won” (it was an dollar almighty Freudian slip by The Don on the campaign trail, as like his bedfellow Putin, Trump had his eyes on the prize of rebuilding Ukraine with other peoples money and taking the credit for it by building the biggest, bestest fools gold casino in the world, on the Black Sea, no less) and no one in D.C. has the courage to say “For F Sakes, the wise guy cannot remain in white power”…but at least I just got breaking wind news that the mobster, I mean monster man Trump is powering down Minnesota N.I.C.E. surge in Fallujah, I mean Minneapolis. Did not Waltz learn from the rest of history class all he had to do was offer The Don a thousand lakefront properties and Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti would still be alive and well. I cannot help but believe the reason Zelensky got verbally raped by the President of the United States for Russia invading Ukraine, on not so candid camera, in the Bada Bing, I mean Oval Office of all places is because Z refused Don Trumps advances about erecting phallic symbols, I mean a Trump Hotel and Casino on the Black Sea. The Dons tongue lashing, and far worse, Trumps good little dog Tatoo (O.M.G. South Park’s cartoon villain caricature of Vance is tear droppingly funny) nodding along is a day that will go down in infamy…just not today. God help U.S.
Where have all those blue and yellow gold bumber stickers gone…the same place all those useless bandaids for stopping the spread of Chinese Communist Corona Party (get it, the new and improved evil empire acronym) man made virus that escaped a biological weapons factory masks have gone…the great trash heap of an alternate history…but the Wuhan lab is still open for business, I mean research! No retribution, I mean reckoning for “My friend Xi. God HELP U.S.
From the Night of the Long Knives, to The Night of Broken Glass, to the Poland Campaign leveling Warsaw…the U.S., the British did not came, or saw anything they could do about it…and Atlas shrugged. Two historical odd facts that should never be forgotten, but are almost never mentioned, for they are facts…Stalin declared and delivered war upon Poland too…and Hitler, not the U.S., declared war on the U.S…”London’s burning with boredom now” (hat tip Joe Strummer) was true to U.S. then, as Kiev is now…to the Village Idiwitt I almost could wish Putin makes like Hitler and betrays the Witkoff/Putin Pact that you take that, we get that…I am beginning to think Kakistocracy is an understatement since “mobbed up” is too…We the People are being ruled by a mobster that puts up a picture of a Stalinist in the White House and 100% of my fellow Americans are not outraged…and Before Trump times a President of the United States would not have just been run out of town, but off a ledge for praising a mass murderer…Putin is not wrong for underestimating the resolve of the American voter..didn’t I already ask where have all those bumber stickers gone…GOD HELP U.S.! And can some so called leader in the still free western world place a billion dollar bitcoin bounty on Putins head…and give a shout out, I mean at the American people that still seek hail to the mob boss, I mean chief executive in the White House…God help the Ukrainians and please take him away, I mean, forgive me Jesus, send Heat Miser back down below, where all psycho killers belong. Gotta run on. Thanks a lot for taking my rant to the next level Jay. We the Living in Idiocracy. Peace through superior mental firepower
IPC(identity protective cognition) seems to be another name for the Reagan era victimhood game that has been pretty much the way the far right has relied on for the past 50y so as to to re-phrase "poor poor me"
When individuals like Cheeto morph into political groups taking on victimhood, they become irresponsible and unaccountable Put simply, "Hey, it's not me that made that failed policy, it's the (fill in the blank) The blank can be economy, immigrants, foreigners, Fed chair, Jeffrey Epstein
Now white supremacists in the form of the Christian Nationalist ideology have decided to become victims.....the oppressed whities have become the new "poor poor me" They....whoever that might be....are taking our jobs, taking whatever from me
But the bottom line when becoming victims is that it spawns unaccountability If you let your child get away with not cleaning his/her plate after eating, you subtly send the message that it's ok not to be accountable for anything in life Many of these far right victims have been raised with a silver spoon coming out of their mouths at birth Privileged and unaccountable
The truth hurts when you are called out on your self righteous bull shitte…hence you have no argument, and because you are a Stalinist, I mean leftist by your own tortured, invented logic…Just trying to make you think a second time and even better make you laugh…at yourself 🍻✌🏼gotta run on
“Protect the Vote” = Project the Note…You are nearly a laugh, but really for crying out loud could you spare me of trying to blame Reagan, let alone anyone, for Trump being Trump..let alone smearing a good man and all who revere his legacy..lest I be tempted to call you a far leftists, Stalinist…but, as the crazy political world has gone full circle, by my using your logic, you are a Putinist…Note, did you happen to notice that not only is it safe to say the author is vehemently anti Trump…just a lot more sober and judicious in his use of the English language…perhaps too much for yours and my senses…hence I rant and roll too…but I aim my verbal gun at buttheads that have it coming and know a friend from a foe when I read him.. just something I think you should see right above you. Gotta run on. Thanks for taking my rant…giving your grotesque smear of Reaganites you asked for it🍻✌🏼
OK, so the US is a malign influence when it comes to addressing Russia’s aggression. Trump has an inexplicable admiration for Putin. That story is well known. But what about Europe? Where is the coalition of the willing? Why are they not doing more when this war is in their own backyard? It feels like they are dithering and rearranging the deck chairs while the Titanic sinks.
The population of NATO countries not including the US, Canada and Turkey (I'm not sure why I excluded it other than to emphasize my point) is roughly 500 million. Russia's population is about 150 million. Russia's conventional forces have been revealed to be kind of a joke in its war against Ukraine. Putin is in the process of having Russia commit demographic suicide.
All this is to say I agree with you. Europe should want to push back much more forcefully against Russia to both deter Russia and show the US it can wear the big boy pants.
I have been ashamed of our (the US's) response from the beginning of this war, but once again Europe comes up wanting big time.
Well said Bruce. I have also been extremely disappointed in the US response, including from the Biden administration when it tied Ukraine’s hands by not allowing them to fully use weapons we were supplying them with (this is for the ATACMS missiles, which the Biden administration finally reversed near the end of 2024; not clear what constraints the current admin re-imposed or not).
Putin clearly doesn’t care about his own population, which still largely supports the war from what I understand. But given the control Russia exerts over the media, I’m sure the general public in Russia has no clue about what’s really going on.
Furthermore, does anybody really believe Putin will stop his crusade if he were to be given the territories he’s demanding for a cessation of hostilities? Europe should know this better than the US.
I admit that my perspective is from the outside looking in, but it feels like Europe has not been acting with the sense of urgency the situation requires, especially given the complete abdication from the US. We’re rapidly approaching the 4 year anniversary since the full-scale invasion and if anything, it seems Putin is emboldened by US indifference, or tacit support.
And those in Russia who oppose the war risk repression for doing so, if they haven't already emigrated or "gone bush".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-blue-white_flag
Yeah! What about those guys!? Didn't they call themselves a beacon of Democracy, a shining city on the hill?!!
Oh. No. Never mind.
DO NOT TRY TO MASK OUR DISGRACE WITH 'WHAT ABOUTISM'. OUR DEFENSE OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL DISGRACE SINCE WE LET PUTIN TAKE CRIMEA. WE LET HIM HAVE PERMISSION FOR THAT BY LETTING HIM INVADE GEORGIA.
Barry M., this article might add some detail to your understanding. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_of_the_willing_(Russo-Ukrainian_war) One issue is that some nations by their current laws may not provide troops or materiel, but can sanction Russia.
Probably because there is zero enthusiasm in the EU to join the war. The population does not want to fight.
I don’t know how many countries Russia could seize before the popular mood changed.
That is a stellar observation.
Putin is a monster and Trump is an utterly shameless bootlicker to him.
Donald Trump is unfit to lead such a great people.
Just an fyi for those wishing to support Ukraine. I am giving $100 today and have given in the past to United 24, the Ukrainian governments outreach for both humanitarian and military support. https://u24.gov.ua/ I am also concerned since I sponsor two families of Ukrainian war veterans that are here on Humanitarian Parole which Trump has been threatening. He has already eliminated HP for a number of countries in Latin America, though as of yet has not from, Ukraine. When I sponsored the families it was for 2 years, which is the standard, so they are due for recertification soon.
Thank you Mr. Wolfy Jack. Just donated to the cause.
A paucity of attention and an abundance of apathy on the part of America and the world. All it takes to enable atrocities is for men of good will to remain silent, or passive--- which is what we're doing. By not resisting, we're assisting in the massacre. If President Trump were to demonstrate assertiveness over Putin instead of this sickening sycophancy -- a couple of Tomahawks aimed at Putin's drone factories and another at the missile launch sites with the compliments of DJT--- should do the job of pushing Putin to comply with the ceasefire he touts and behave!
The whole world is waiting for the end of this US administration.
Except for Russia, China, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, UAE....
What are the strategies for war? It's not that we don't have the right answers, but that it's the wrong question. Get rid of our administration in favor of something better than any we've had, where we get humanity on a course where we can celebrate our magnificence instead of struggling with our infamy. Here are my game plan ideas:
A way to shift the Zeitgeist
We need a plan
https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/a-way-to-shift-the-zeitgeist
Ukraine link does not work
Just wanted to reminisce that, in the end, 1) Hitler died in a dark bunker, violently, by his own hand 2) Mussolini ignominiously by Communist partisans (or was it the mob?) and his body pelted with rotten vegetables, and 3) Stalin, <cough> peacefully <cough, cough>--conveniently, just at the moment he was preparing for another round of purges.
Note to Witkoff: Things didn't turn out so hot for Ribbentrop either.
Just tidbits for thought.
TRIGGER WARNING - Forgive me Jesus, if Trumpers were dolphins…I would hope all MAGA drowned…proverbially, that is what the political world needs NOW…thousands of innocent human beings still cannot be reached for comment in the Ukraine since “Day Won” (it was an dollar almighty Freudian slip by The Don on the campaign trail, as like his bedfellow Putin, Trump had his eyes on the prize of rebuilding Ukraine with other peoples money and taking the credit for it by building the biggest, bestest fools gold casino in the world, on the Black Sea, no less) and no one in D.C. has the courage to say “For F Sakes, the wise guy cannot remain in white power”…but at least I just got breaking wind news that the mobster, I mean monster man Trump is powering down Minnesota N.I.C.E. surge in Fallujah, I mean Minneapolis. Did not Waltz learn from the rest of history class all he had to do was offer The Don a thousand lakefront properties and Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti would still be alive and well. I cannot help but believe the reason Zelensky got verbally raped by the President of the United States for Russia invading Ukraine, on not so candid camera, in the Bada Bing, I mean Oval Office of all places is because Z refused Don Trumps advances about erecting phallic symbols, I mean a Trump Hotel and Casino on the Black Sea. The Dons tongue lashing, and far worse, Trumps good little dog Tatoo (O.M.G. South Park’s cartoon villain caricature of Vance is tear droppingly funny) nodding along is a day that will go down in infamy…just not today. God help U.S.
Where have all those blue and yellow gold bumber stickers gone…the same place all those useless bandaids for stopping the spread of Chinese Communist Corona Party (get it, the new and improved evil empire acronym) man made virus that escaped a biological weapons factory masks have gone…the great trash heap of an alternate history…but the Wuhan lab is still open for business, I mean research! No retribution, I mean reckoning for “My friend Xi. God HELP U.S.
From the Night of the Long Knives, to The Night of Broken Glass, to the Poland Campaign leveling Warsaw…the U.S., the British did not came, or saw anything they could do about it…and Atlas shrugged. Two historical odd facts that should never be forgotten, but are almost never mentioned, for they are facts…Stalin declared and delivered war upon Poland too…and Hitler, not the U.S., declared war on the U.S…”London’s burning with boredom now” (hat tip Joe Strummer) was true to U.S. then, as Kiev is now…to the Village Idiwitt I almost could wish Putin makes like Hitler and betrays the Witkoff/Putin Pact that you take that, we get that…I am beginning to think Kakistocracy is an understatement since “mobbed up” is too…We the People are being ruled by a mobster that puts up a picture of a Stalinist in the White House and 100% of my fellow Americans are not outraged…and Before Trump times a President of the United States would not have just been run out of town, but off a ledge for praising a mass murderer…Putin is not wrong for underestimating the resolve of the American voter..didn’t I already ask where have all those bumber stickers gone…GOD HELP U.S.! And can some so called leader in the still free western world place a billion dollar bitcoin bounty on Putins head…and give a shout out, I mean at the American people that still seek hail to the mob boss, I mean chief executive in the White House…God help the Ukrainians and please take him away, I mean, forgive me Jesus, send Heat Miser back down below, where all psycho killers belong. Gotta run on. Thanks a lot for taking my rant to the next level Jay. We the Living in Idiocracy. Peace through superior mental firepower
White Victimhood: Trademark Of The Nazi Far Right
IPC(identity protective cognition) seems to be another name for the Reagan era victimhood game that has been pretty much the way the far right has relied on for the past 50y so as to to re-phrase "poor poor me"
When individuals like Cheeto morph into political groups taking on victimhood, they become irresponsible and unaccountable Put simply, "Hey, it's not me that made that failed policy, it's the (fill in the blank) The blank can be economy, immigrants, foreigners, Fed chair, Jeffrey Epstein
Now white supremacists in the form of the Christian Nationalist ideology have decided to become victims.....the oppressed whities have become the new "poor poor me" They....whoever that might be....are taking our jobs, taking whatever from me
But the bottom line when becoming victims is that it spawns unaccountability If you let your child get away with not cleaning his/her plate after eating, you subtly send the message that it's ok not to be accountable for anything in life Many of these far right victims have been raised with a silver spoon coming out of their mouths at birth Privileged and unaccountable
The truth hurts when you are called out on your self righteous bull shitte…hence you have no argument, and because you are a Stalinist, I mean leftist by your own tortured, invented logic…Just trying to make you think a second time and even better make you laugh…at yourself 🍻✌🏼gotta run on
“Protect the Vote” = Project the Note…You are nearly a laugh, but really for crying out loud could you spare me of trying to blame Reagan, let alone anyone, for Trump being Trump..let alone smearing a good man and all who revere his legacy..lest I be tempted to call you a far leftists, Stalinist…but, as the crazy political world has gone full circle, by my using your logic, you are a Putinist…Note, did you happen to notice that not only is it safe to say the author is vehemently anti Trump…just a lot more sober and judicious in his use of the English language…perhaps too much for yours and my senses…hence I rant and roll too…but I aim my verbal gun at buttheads that have it coming and know a friend from a foe when I read him.. just something I think you should see right above you. Gotta run on. Thanks for taking my rant…giving your grotesque smear of Reaganites you asked for it🍻✌🏼
Truth hurts