Reading Between The Lines #216
By Hank Silverberg
Its impact could be as great as President Kenndy's anti-communist, Cold War, West Berlin speech in June of 1963, ("Ich bin ein Berliner.") which firmed up our opposition to Soviet threats and expansionism and sent a clear message to Nikita Khrushchev.
It can also be compared to Ronald Reagan's Berlin Wall speech in 1987 which re-affirmed America's leadership in the Cold War. He expressed stout support for our allies in Europe and the emerging Democratic movements in the populations of the Eastern Block. ("Mr. Gobachev, tear down this wall!")
This week Biden was firm and clear in his statements. They were directed not only at the people of Europe, but also at the Russian population and at Putin himself, who right now seems to have more individual power than any Russian leader since Stalin. But Biden also did something that neither Kennedy nor Reagan did. In the middle of his affirmation of NATO's resolve to help Ukraine and stop Russian aggression, he also showed strong empathy for the millions of people who have been forced to flee their homes or have been killed by the Russian's indiscriminate air and missile assaults. He lowered his voice and became somber as he talked of their suffering. Empathy in words and compassion in deeds can go a long way in a persuasive message.
To that point the speech was perfect. Then he made one off-the-script comment right before wrapping it up, which is now being over analyzed and criticized.
Biden said Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". It was directed at the Russian people and the oligarchs and Generals that surround Putin. But it clouded U.S. policy not to seek "regime change" in a foreign country. That policy was created after failed attempts to do just that in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
The White House walked back on that statement right after the speech, saying Mr. Biden was not advocating regime change. But it did let the world know what Mr. Biden was thinking at the moment.
As I have written in this blog before, the stakes are very high in Europe right now, probably higher than most Americans think. It's more than just gas prices or the substantial impact on the global economy. Because of nuclear weapons the stakes may be even higher than they were in 1939, especially when you throw a nuclear China into the mix.
But even after Biden's mistake, I am still glad we have a President with decades of foreign policy experience instead of the buffoon he soundly beat in the 2020 election. We need to remember that as the next election cycle approaches.
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Some Americans are more focused than others. Ukrainian President Zelensky has asked for volunteers from around the world to join an international brigade within the Ukrainian army. That brigade now has 20,000 fighters. The Washington Post reports that more than 4,000 Americans, many with combat experience, have joined up.
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The Haunting Past
For the second time in this European war, a memorial to Jews and others murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust 80 years ago has been damaged. The Ukranian Defense Ministry released
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| (From Ukraine Defense Ministry via twitter) |
The tweet with the picture was also tagged to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, who has acted as mediator in the conflict, including meetings with both Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky.
https://nypost.com/2022/03/26/russian-military-damage-holocaust-memorial-near-kharkiv/
The World Will Little Note, Nor Long Remember
It's the kind of thing that Israel has done before in a world crises or disaster, for which it rarely gets any recognition. The Jewish state has set up a 66-bed field hospital in the western Ukrainian town of
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| (Courtesy Sheba Medical Center) |
https://www.newsweek.com/israel-opens-humanitarian-field-hospital-war-torn-ukraine-1691155
Israel has undertaken similar aide missions after earthquakes or tsunamis in Haiti in 2010, Japan in 2011, the Philippines in 2013 and Nepal in 2015.
But this may be the first time in a war zone.
Israel has avoided sending any military medical personnel from the IDF, which could have some political consequences.
Science Loss
Another casualty of the war maybe scientific advancement. Projects which involve Russian scientists, like the study of climate change and space exploration, are already feeling the impact as joint projects get cancelled or defunded. Russian scientists have become isolated because of the heavy sanctions placed against Russia. One example is the Mars Rover being constructed by The European Space
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| (ExoMars Rover ,courtesy ESA) |
The hunt for "elusive dark matter" at the European nuclear research organization CERN, has already been suspended for more than a thousand Russian scientists who were involved.
Russians are also very active with climate change research in Antartica that I wrote about last week, and they may now be cut out as well.
https://phys.org/news/2022-03-russia-west-scientific-collaboration-casualty-ukraine.html
In the long run, Putin's war may do harm to the world as a whole.
Of Note:
I don't usually care much about the comings and goings of overpaid media types. But I do note this week we got an official explanation from former
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| (Courtesy CNN) |
What took you so long, Chris? Fox News has been reporting lies for almost two decades now. Wallace was one of the few people on Fox who actually reported real news. He says he spent 2021 trying to decide if there was a different place to do his job. He now has a show on CNN's new streaming network. When I first met him a couple of decades ago, he had a reputation of being a good reporter. But guess what, Chris? I don't trust you after 18 years at Fox News. I won't be watching.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
Another tie this week for dumbest quote. We'll start off with Indiana Republican Senator Mike Braun, who does not serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the President's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, he was asked by a reporter about his criticism of "Activist" Supreme Court Justices. Braun then questioned whether the Court should revisit interracial marriage and whether states should have the right to make it illegal.
A Times of the Northwest reporter asked Braun to clarify. "So, you would be Ok with the Supreme court leaving the question of interracial marriage to the states?"
Braun said, "yes," and then went on:
"I think that's something--if you're not wanting the Supreme Court to weigh in on issues like that, you're not going to be able to have your cake and eat it too. I think that's hypocritical. "
The comment makes no sense. And for the record, the High Court ruled state laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional nationwide in 1967 in the landmark case of "Loving vs. Virginia."
To make matters worse, it should be noted that Judge Jackson is Black, and her husband is White. And the husband was sitting right behind the Judge at the televised hearings. So, you have to wonder if that was what was really going on in Senator Braun's mind.
There were actually five or six dumb quotes from Republicans this week that I could have used. But this one makes the tie.
It's from the dumbest person in Congress right now, Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Here's her tweet:
Now, I would like to think she was being sarcastic and making another one of her ridiculous comments on the Covid-19 vaccine. Maybe. But even then, it's pretty dumb. You decide.
(Your comments and suggestions are welcome)
(My book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:
HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature. )
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
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