War In Europe
By Hank Silverberg
War in Europe. I have heard many people express total surprise about Russia's invasion of Ukraine
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Yes, there was the civil war in Bosnia and the ethnic cleansing in Serbia that killed hundreds of thousands after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992-1995. There were small uprisings like the Prague Spring in 1956 that produced some violence. But Europe has had 80 years of relative peace, and for Europe that, frankly, is historically unusual. If you look at the list below you will see that in the last 500 years, the continent seems to have been at war every 30 years or so. The wars were mostly about defining borders, ethnic or religious tensions, or one man's quest for empire. All of those are prompting this current war.
Vladimir Putin has dreams of rebuilding Imperial Russia, but on a Soviet model. He argues that because Russia has conquered and occupied historical Ukraine several times in the last thousands years, that it's really part of Russia. He looks at it the same way Hitler looked at the Sudetenland in 1938, ethnic brothers in need of rescuing from some fictional threat.
Ukraine, a mostly free Democracy for the last 30 years, wants none of that. And we can all be inspired by the Ukrainian's fierce defense of their country in the face of a major assault by one of the biggest armies in the world.
There have been some heartening events in this overall tragedy. First, there is the willingness of ordinary untrained civilians in Ukraine to take up arms against Russian tanks, missiles and aircraft.
Then there is the willingness of thousands of Russians to take to the streets of several Russian cities and protest the war, risking arrest and likely imprisonment in the country with a well- documented failure in human rights.
I read one report, though not confirmed, that some Russian soldiers refused to fight or go to the front.
The other heartening news is the revitalization of NATO, an alliance that some politicians called obsolete after the collapse of the Soviet Union 30 years ago. The America's Defeated Former President almost ruined it completely by his constant complaints and bickering with our allies on its cost and purpose. He was perhaps, egged on by his buddy Vladimir.
But President Biden, who may pay a political price because of the economic impact from the war here in the U.S., has been skillful in rekindling some unity in NATO to provide some assistance in terms of weapons and supplies to Ukraine, which is not a member of the alliance.
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(European Wars over 500 years)
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That not withstanding, there are several clouds hanging over us as events in Ukraine unfold. One is the continued naiveté, or perhaps intentional actions, by some right-wing T-V pundits in the United States, and some right-wing Republicans who express support for Putin.
Number two is the continued efforts by the GOP to blame President Biden for the conflict which has been years in the making, long before he became the Commander-in-Chief.
And finally, the biggest threat of them all.
Ukraine live updates: Putin puts nuclear deterrent on 'special alert' - BBC News
Putin put Russia's nuclear forces on alert on Sunday as Ukrainian resistance stiffened and Russian casualties mounted. That is the one thing that makes this war in Europe more dangerous than any of those in the past.
Not a Sermon, Just a Thought
And now another thought. Unless the war in Ukraine widens into a more complex conflict, Americans won't be affected much. The price at the gas pump is already going up, and it will rise more. We may experience some shortages in raw materials for things like computer chips that come from both Ukraine and Russia. But right now there is no talk of sending American troops into Ukraine. The Russians are not likely to attack U.S. forces unless there is some kind of unintended contact.
So, DON'T COMPLAIN about a few inconveniences we may experience. In a way, Ukrainians are spilling their blood to defend democracy and teach the dictators of the world (in this case Putin) that real freedom is something most people will fight for.
Hold back on using expressions like "oppression" and "tyranny " when dealing with issues like mask mandates, school curriculum, or even racism.
Despite all the nonsensical rhetoric from both the right and left, most Americans alive today have not experienced either. They have no clue what either of them really mean.
Aiding And Abetting The Enemy?
"I don’t know them, but I’m reminded of the old line from Butch Cassidy where one character says, ‘Morons, I have morons on my team.’ I think anybody who would sit down with white nationalists at their conference is missing a few IQ points.”
Those words come from Republican Senator Mitt Romney, speaking on CNN about Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar of Arizona, who spoke last Friday before a group called "America First Political Action Conference." That group is really made up of white nationalists and they are so far to the right they have been banned by the Conservative Political Action Conference. The group's organizer, Nick Fuentes, who rallied rioters outside the Capitol during the January 6th insurrection, has been banned from most social media platforms because of his racist and anti-Semitic comments.
The America First group showed support for Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine .
Greene later said she is against Putin, and then blamed reporters for the criticism, calling it "guilt by association." Well, yeah Congresswoman, if you speak to them and agree with them, then yes, you are associated with them.
Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks at white nationalist conference (usatoday.com)
Old Kentucky Home
So there they were, two members of the Kentucky legislature doing some routine business and discussing two $1 leasing agreements,
The agreements were for space the state is renting for agencies helping Graves County recover from those devastating December tornadoes. Apparently, they were happy with the deal and started to joke a bit.
Representative Walker Thomas wanted to know if they could "Jew them down." To which State Senator Rick Girdler responded, "He's asking if the government could Jew them down a little bit on the price," as he laughed. Then he quickly added, "That ain't the right word to use. Drop them down I guess."
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| Kentucky |
Kentucky lawmakers apologize after using an antisemitic phrase (courier-journal.com)
The Lexington Herald Leader reported the whole conversation and the lawmakers later apologized. But as usual, they just don't get it. Phrases like that may indicate what they really think. And anti-Semitic tropes are one of the reasons this country remains divided. Those we elect to office should not think like that, and these two men should not be in public office. Let's hope the good citizens of Kentucky send those two Republicans into retirement come election day.
Maskless???
Are you still wearing a mask as protection against Covid-19? The CDC now says they are no longer needed across most of the country unless you live where there are high hospitalization rates due to Covid.
CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, says they are focusing now on areas of severe disease. These are only recommendations, of course. States and local governments can still impose mask mandates based on local conditions.
The CDC's New Masking Guidelines, Explained | POPSUGAR Fitness
Revised CDC COVID-19 mask rules change where they’re needed now (msn.com)
Right now about 28% of people still live in areas of the U.S. where you are still supposed to wear a mask indoors. The mandate has been dropped in schools, but you MUST still wear masks on mass
I am not in one of the areas of severe disease and I am fully vaccinated. But somehow I am not willing to scrap the mask yet since four members of my family (different household) just finished with mild bouts of Covid-19.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
With a war now on in Europe you would think a U.S. senator would make it his business to find out some basic information, such as who is fighting and what the dispute is about. That's not the case for Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has now served a year in his job. He was assessing his first year before a Chamber of Commerce in the Montgomery area this past week when someone asked him about the war between Russia and Ukraine.
This is part of what he said about Putin and Russia.
"He can't feed his people. It's a communist country, so he can't feed his people, so they need more farmland."
It's true that many Republicans are living in the past, and this very dumb quote proves that.
Yes, there is some food insecurity in Russia, and it's worse than the shameful rate here in The United States. But despite inequities, Russia's basic economy may be in the best shape it's ever been...at least until some of the new U.S. sanctions kick in. Although Putin is a former KGB agent, he and most Russians dumped Communism and the concept of Communism, back in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. Putin may want to bring back the old Imperial Russian Empire in land mass, but he and his billionaire oligarch buddies who run the country never talk about bringing back central planning, collective farms and five year plans.
капитализм не коммунизм
They are quite happy with all the millions they are making with Capitalism. Senator Tuberville had better learn that soon. Even Alabama's poorly rated education system (47 out of the 50 states) includes the downfall of the Soviet Union in its history curriculum. The voters there should take note of his ignorant comments.
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