Early in the morning here there are lots of interesting short takes. Let’s go! I’m lifting this from MoA, who is excerpting John Mearsheimer. What’s really important about this—which follows hard on the heels of revelations that Israel is taking major casualties in Gaza, and is staging Hamas “surrenders” in war crime fashion—is that “J-Street”, which is a major component of the Israel Lobby, is alarmed at the war crime revelations coming out of Gaza. They can see where this is leading in American politics. The J-Street people aren’t humanitarians, but they can see which way the wind is blowing:
I wonder at what stage does Hungary move its military to the borders of Ukraine to protect Hungarian minorities?
Given Armenia’s response to its own genocide it’s not surprising the Arab world seems to have acquiesced to what’s happening. Maybe the ‘kings of the east’ will have something to say about the matter.
After thinking about it after I posted it, I think the story was strategically placed to put pressure on R congressional critters in order to get them to cave on approving Ukie aid to coincide with the Z man’s visit to the WH
Very cool to learn of this hard work and success story. Wish I was anywhere near the vicinity, to be able to try his food. Having a Christmas market at Wrigley is cool in itself.
WASHINGTON—The war in Ukraine has devastated Russia’s preinvasion military machine, with nearly 90% of its prewar army lost to death or injury, and thousands of battle tanks destroyed, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment shared with Congress.
The intelligence assessment, according to a congressional source, says that 315,000 Russian personnel have been killed or injured since the February 2022 invasion, or about 87% of Moscow’s prewar force of 360,000.
Russia also has lost nearly two-thirds of its tank force, or 2,200 out of its 3,500 preinvasion stock, the congressional source said.
The assessment was being made public as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington to lobby for continued U.S. military assistance. Despite a major counteroffensive this year, Kyiv has been unable to claw back large chunks of its territory occupied by Russia.
It's BS propaganda to try to pressure Congress to approve more billions for Ukraine. The BBC, of all people, has tracked Russian deaths through funerals, tweets, etc. They figure maybe 50K.
Just like the nonsense propaganda for a relative risk reduction "95% zomg" rather than an absolute risk reduction "0 .095% meh" with the Pfizer vaccine. And they were still lying about what counts as an "army", er, "infection".
In foreign as well as domestic "policy", the elites are mimicking the French and Russian aristocracy before their respective revolutions. They refuse to give an inch, make any concessions or put themselves into question. They will almost certainly suffer the same fate as their predecessors.
Yes it does, DL. The Deep Staters are blocking any kind of change. The majority of people are deeply unhappy with the state of affairs in most Western nations. They vote for leaders who are outsiders in the hope that they will change things (Trump, Bolsanaro, Meloni, etc.). These leaders are either blocked and kicked out by the DS or turn out to be frauds. That appears to be a big win for the elites. However, all it is doing is building up a massive amount of resentment and anger which will come out in some other more kinetic form later on.
Former French Secretary of State Pierre Lelouch called the conflict with Russia a mistake:
"Everything would have been different if a compromise on the status of Ukraine had been reached before this conflict. Ukraine's neutral status is an existential question for Russia. The mistake that most strategists have recognized for decades is to neglect Russia’s position."
Hard to believe he (and many other current and former European politicians) did not know this already in April 2022, at the time of the aborted Russia-Ukraine peace agreement. Why did none of them speak out then as BoJo trashed that agreement on behalf of the Anglosphere and the neocons?
Earlier today, dozens of settlers celebrated the holiday of Hanukkah by stealing crops from Palestinian-owned olive trees outside the village of Awarta. After the theft, which was escorted by Israeli soldiers, the settlers proceeded to cut down several trees.
I wonder at what stage does Hungary move its military to the borders of Ukraine to protect Hungarian minorities?
Given Armenia’s response to its own genocide it’s not surprising the Arab world seems to have acquiesced to what’s happening. Maybe the ‘kings of the east’ will have something to say about the matter.
After thinking about it after I posted it, I think the story was strategically placed to put pressure on R congressional critters in order to get them to cave on approving Ukie aid to coincide with the Z man’s visit to the WH
https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/12/12/wrigleyville-christkindlmarket-prince-of-pierogi-door-county-krzysztof-krol-polish-food/
Where's the borscht?
barszcz in Polish
Very cool to learn of this hard work and success story. Wish I was anywhere near the vicinity, to be able to try his food. Having a Christmas market at Wrigley is cool in itself.
Looks like the NeoCons are in the final stages of playing Narcissus in a game with Echo.
Vanity kills.
Don’t know what to make of this:
https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russian-has-lost-almost-90-of-its-prewar-army-u-s-intelligence-says-2e0372ab
WASHINGTON—The war in Ukraine has devastated Russia’s preinvasion military machine, with nearly 90% of its prewar army lost to death or injury, and thousands of battle tanks destroyed, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment shared with Congress.
The intelligence assessment, according to a congressional source, says that 315,000 Russian personnel have been killed or injured since the February 2022 invasion, or about 87% of Moscow’s prewar force of 360,000.
Russia also has lost nearly two-thirds of its tank force, or 2,200 out of its 3,500 preinvasion stock, the congressional source said.
The assessment was being made public as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington to lobby for continued U.S. military assistance. Despite a major counteroffensive this year, Kyiv has been unable to claw back large chunks of its territory occupied by Russia.
Don’t know what to make of this:
It's BS propaganda to try to pressure Congress to approve more billions for Ukraine. The BBC, of all people, has tracked Russian deaths through funerals, tweets, etc. They figure maybe 50K.
Just like the nonsense propaganda for a relative risk reduction "95% zomg" rather than an absolute risk reduction "0 .095% meh" with the Pfizer vaccine. And they were still lying about what counts as an "army", er, "infection".
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/12/11/china-enough-is-enough-un-gaza-isreal-hamas/
China says ‘China says ‘enough is enough’ as UN officials see devastation of Gaza first-hand
'Reality is worse than we can speak' say Security Council envoys, days after Secretary General warned that thousands were ‘simply starving
In foreign as well as domestic "policy", the elites are mimicking the French and Russian aristocracy before their respective revolutions. They refuse to give an inch, make any concessions or put themselves into question. They will almost certainly suffer the same fate as their predecessors.
Hope springs eternal.
Yes it does, DL. The Deep Staters are blocking any kind of change. The majority of people are deeply unhappy with the state of affairs in most Western nations. They vote for leaders who are outsiders in the hope that they will change things (Trump, Bolsanaro, Meloni, etc.). These leaders are either blocked and kicked out by the DS or turn out to be frauds. That appears to be a big win for the elites. However, all it is doing is building up a massive amount of resentment and anger which will come out in some other more kinetic form later on.
Indeed. It's rather ironic how our leaders and their minions are mimicking the behaviour of the old Soviet leaders.
Now they get it ...
Former French Secretary of State Pierre Lelouch called the conflict with Russia a mistake:
"Everything would have been different if a compromise on the status of Ukraine had been reached before this conflict. Ukraine's neutral status is an existential question for Russia. The mistake that most strategists have recognized for decades is to neglect Russia’s position."
Hard to believe he (and many other current and former European politicians) did not know this already in April 2022, at the time of the aborted Russia-Ukraine peace agreement. Why did none of them speak out then as BoJo trashed that agreement on behalf of the Anglosphere and the neocons?
For the same reason none of them spoke out against the scamdemic.
Yesh Din English @Yesh_Din
·
Dec 11
Earlier today, dozens of settlers celebrated the holiday of Hanukkah by stealing crops from Palestinian-owned olive trees outside the village of Awarta. After the theft, which was escorted by Israeli soldiers, the settlers proceeded to cut down several trees.
https://twitter.com/Yesh_Din/status/1734203968929083739
Old tag line from the WaPo Sunday magazine: "J Street--the street L'Enfant forgot." Interesting timing vis-a-vis this Biden about-face today:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-sudden-about-face-israel-losing-support-due-indiscriminate-bombing
That said, as you've previously noted, these are mere words--the proof would be in turning off the spigot.