Yesterday Alexander Mercouris of The Duran did a long Youtube video that contains some provocative discussion. We’ve already noted (in comments) Mercouris’ closing remarks (last 10 minutes or so) regarding the Boris Johnson resignation and Mercouris’ views of Johnson and his disgraceful role with regard to Ukraine. We’ll get back to that a bit later from a specific point of view. Here’s a link to the video:
For a few days I thought the dam burst and consequent flooding might be the cue for a multinational 'save the raccoons' force to act as a buffer between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Although that seems less likely now, there are stories about countless thousands of people not having clean drinking water beginning to circulate - I take it that the bought-and-paid-for-media are not focusing these narratives upon Crimea.... So perhaps that option still has some legs.
A more sinister possibility is that the constant provocations on the Zaporizhzhia NPP lead to a major catastrophe, or a simulated catastrophe, with the same result: peacekeeping forces absolutely have to come and sort things out.
Either of these, and other scenarios I guess, could have the desired effect of freezing the conflict, some ham-handed ceasefire could be declared, and Kiev plus western Ukraine live to fight again. Which they surely will.
And that is why Russia has to plow on, pushing further west when timely, and negotiate from a position of strength. If some bits of southwestern Ukraine end up under Polish control that could be spun up as a NATO win of sorts.
I'm conceding though that anything is possible in a world where the US President appears to think Queen Elizabeth II is still alive despite having attended her funeral.
I haven't seen much on the humanitarian situation along the river. The geographical situation is that for much of its course the Dnieper has high bluffs on the western side but low swampy areas on the eastern, Russian, side. I saw one account claiming a lot of deaths from the sudden flood. I'm sure you're right that Russia will continue as is.
The US became the "de-facto" leader of the free world. WW II solidified this. The "de-facto" role breeds high degrees of hegemony. The military industrial complex reinforces this. US economy and markets reinforce this. US politics reinforce this. All others sub-servient in one way or another including the UN.
Keeping and maintaining this "defacto" role requires continuous investments. These investments provide elites, corporations, and the banking institutions with great rewards. A great many are comfortable with this. Look at the MSM as examples. My friends this is "The Matrix" we live in.
As Mark wrote the other day BRICS may be a method to "dent" this however it will take time. Question in my mind is how much suffering will occur.
Have to admit that I’m puzzled as well by how we ordinary Americans can put a stop to this madness. Just look at how the budget deal worked out. They now have access to virtually unlimited funding for this fool’s errand. Thanks a lot McCarthy, you really showed em. With gutless wonders like this on our side, we sure as hell don’t need any help from the Dems.
But Lindsay said it’s the best money we ever spent, so at least we got that going for us.
Well, I look at his non-response to the plight of the Jan 6 political prisoners as clear evidence of his being gutless. But I’ll also concede your point that he is definitely not working for the voters or the best interests of the country.
Didn’t mean to put you on the spot, wasn’t trying to be provocative, but I’m soooo fed up with business as usual in DC that I get carried away :-)
To follow on Mark's point, I think he supports the persecution of the J6ers. It just seemed so unlikely that he magically conformed to the America First caucus' views.
It's a betrayal on the order of the scorpion vs the frog. The only real question is whether the scorpion and frog will experience the same fate in this story.
They've sold the American public a pack of fantasies? We don't count. If the only people who can put a stop to this are ordinary Americans it is not going to stop.
Putin clearly has adopted the "Fool me once, shame on you...Fool me twice, shame on me" approach. There will be no "frozen (aka North/South Korea) Ukraine. Putin knows from 2014 experience this would be just a delay tactic.
First offer will be post Odessa and Karkov control when Russia controls east Ukraine to the Dnipro River with regime change (BaBye Zelensky). West elimination of sanctions and rollback of Nato (under UN approval) will be preconditions. Challenge for the West will be to dress up defeat and unconditional surrender as something else. Guessing footing Nordstream 2 and damn repair cost will be thrown in. Next offer will be when Russia moves West to Polish border.
1) For starters, Russia will insist on securing the rights to all territory east of the Dnieper River and on a special status for Odessa? Odessa would no longer be ruled by Ukraine.
2) Expect Russia to demand (non-negotiable) the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the murder of 42 Russian speaking Ukrainians in 2014 who sought refuge in the Trade Unions House.
3) Russia will demand the dismantling of NATO Aegis missile systems in Poland and Romania and a ban on U.S. or NATO troops being posted in countries that share a border with Ukraine.
4) In light of Russia’s stated goal of de-nazification I would not be surprised if Russia demands the laws of Ukraine be changed and that Nazi-affiliated parties and symbols be banned.
Until Ukraine suffers an irreversible defeat on the battlefield, there is little incentive for the United States and its NATO allies to entertain any of the positions outlined above.
My questions:
a) Other than the destruction of Ukraine and its military and citizens, what is the outcome of further delay?
b) How then is it not a war crime to continue, with the loss for Ukraine all but certain.
Expansive energy deals, a structural weakening of NATO (formal treaty agreement on buffer states between Russia & EU), silent disengagement from Syria & Libya, and BRICS+ exchange terms will be included in the outcome
Don't worry, sleepy Joe's been informed. It's not like a train derailment with toxic chemicals invasive to the ground and water sources in a small eastern Ohio town.
Which begs me to think? Where's the Sec. of Transportation? Oh wait... it's pride month so I'm sure he's busy with festivals and parades.
My question as well. For ordinary citizens to impact this war we’d need to be united, at least to a greater degree. Secondly, the current government appears to care Not for its own citizens. They pander to select groups at election time and manufacture anything else they need to stay in power. They set a precident with January 6th, Covid, invaders at our borders, (and more) that they will use the law against us, ignore the law, use government agencies and propagandize/censor wherever needed to maintain the divide and control over occupants of this country, legal or illegal.
For a few days I thought the dam burst and consequent flooding might be the cue for a multinational 'save the raccoons' force to act as a buffer between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Although that seems less likely now, there are stories about countless thousands of people not having clean drinking water beginning to circulate - I take it that the bought-and-paid-for-media are not focusing these narratives upon Crimea.... So perhaps that option still has some legs.
A more sinister possibility is that the constant provocations on the Zaporizhzhia NPP lead to a major catastrophe, or a simulated catastrophe, with the same result: peacekeeping forces absolutely have to come and sort things out.
Either of these, and other scenarios I guess, could have the desired effect of freezing the conflict, some ham-handed ceasefire could be declared, and Kiev plus western Ukraine live to fight again. Which they surely will.
And that is why Russia has to plow on, pushing further west when timely, and negotiate from a position of strength. If some bits of southwestern Ukraine end up under Polish control that could be spun up as a NATO win of sorts.
I'm conceding though that anything is possible in a world where the US President appears to think Queen Elizabeth II is still alive despite having attended her funeral.
I haven't seen much on the humanitarian situation along the river. The geographical situation is that for much of its course the Dnieper has high bluffs on the western side but low swampy areas on the eastern, Russian, side. I saw one account claiming a lot of deaths from the sudden flood. I'm sure you're right that Russia will continue as is.
The US became the "de-facto" leader of the free world. WW II solidified this. The "de-facto" role breeds high degrees of hegemony. The military industrial complex reinforces this. US economy and markets reinforce this. US politics reinforce this. All others sub-servient in one way or another including the UN.
Keeping and maintaining this "defacto" role requires continuous investments. These investments provide elites, corporations, and the banking institutions with great rewards. A great many are comfortable with this. Look at the MSM as examples. My friends this is "The Matrix" we live in.
As Mark wrote the other day BRICS may be a method to "dent" this however it will take time. Question in my mind is how much suffering will occur.
Have to admit that I’m puzzled as well by how we ordinary Americans can put a stop to this madness. Just look at how the budget deal worked out. They now have access to virtually unlimited funding for this fool’s errand. Thanks a lot McCarthy, you really showed em. With gutless wonders like this on our side, we sure as hell don’t need any help from the Dems.
But Lindsay said it’s the best money we ever spent, so at least we got that going for us.
1. Yeah, go ahead--put me on the spot!
2. It's not that McCarthy is gutless, it's that he's not working for the voters. They're not the ones who pay him.
Well, I look at his non-response to the plight of the Jan 6 political prisoners as clear evidence of his being gutless. But I’ll also concede your point that he is definitely not working for the voters or the best interests of the country.
Didn’t mean to put you on the spot, wasn’t trying to be provocative, but I’m soooo fed up with business as usual in DC that I get carried away :-)
To follow on Mark's point, I think he supports the persecution of the J6ers. It just seemed so unlikely that he magically conformed to the America First caucus' views.
It's a betrayal on the order of the scorpion vs the frog. The only real question is whether the scorpion and frog will experience the same fate in this story.
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=freedom+caucus+stiffs+mccarthy&ia=web
I don't know what the neocons' idea of an offramp or endgame is or will be, but I am 100% certain that Russia will *never*
--concede Crimea or the Black Sea
--concede Donetsk or Luhansk (and in all likelihood other territories it has taken)
--concede Nato membership for 'Ukraine' or any part of Ukraine (or the former Ukraine)
It will require Ukrainian neutrality and will *never* stop fighting until its goals are met.
This means it cannot 'lose'.
They've sold the American public a pack of fantasies? We don't count. If the only people who can put a stop to this are ordinary Americans it is not going to stop.
The eGOP view on Ukraine, based on uk propaganda:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/06/breakthrough-near-in-ukraine.php
Geez; so much one-sided thinking. Gotta believe at some point these people have to "tip" over.
Putin clearly has adopted the "Fool me once, shame on you...Fool me twice, shame on me" approach. There will be no "frozen (aka North/South Korea) Ukraine. Putin knows from 2014 experience this would be just a delay tactic.
First offer will be post Odessa and Karkov control when Russia controls east Ukraine to the Dnipro River with regime change (BaBye Zelensky). West elimination of sanctions and rollback of Nato (under UN approval) will be preconditions. Challenge for the West will be to dress up defeat and unconditional surrender as something else. Guessing footing Nordstream 2 and damn repair cost will be thrown in. Next offer will be when Russia moves West to Polish border.
Larry Johnson weighs in. https://sonar21.com/what-could-russia-demand-to-negotiate-an-end-to-the-war-in-ukraine/
1) For starters, Russia will insist on securing the rights to all territory east of the Dnieper River and on a special status for Odessa? Odessa would no longer be ruled by Ukraine.
2) Expect Russia to demand (non-negotiable) the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the murder of 42 Russian speaking Ukrainians in 2014 who sought refuge in the Trade Unions House.
3) Russia will demand the dismantling of NATO Aegis missile systems in Poland and Romania and a ban on U.S. or NATO troops being posted in countries that share a border with Ukraine.
4) In light of Russia’s stated goal of de-nazification I would not be surprised if Russia demands the laws of Ukraine be changed and that Nazi-affiliated parties and symbols be banned.
Until Ukraine suffers an irreversible defeat on the battlefield, there is little incentive for the United States and its NATO allies to entertain any of the positions outlined above.
My questions:
a) Other than the destruction of Ukraine and its military and citizens, what is the outcome of further delay?
b) How then is it not a war crime to continue, with the loss for Ukraine all but certain.
Expansive energy deals, a structural weakening of NATO (formal treaty agreement on buffer states between Russia & EU), silent disengagement from Syria & Libya, and BRICS+ exchange terms will be included in the outcome
“The only people who can put a stop to this are ordinary Americans.”
But how? By voting? I think 2020 and 2022 showed us what a fairy tale THAT is.
Who blew up the bridge over I-95 through the middle of Philadelphia and why? Anyone who thinks this was an accident isn’t paying attention.
Do tell ... I hadn't heard about that.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/philadelphia-i-95-collapse-shapiro-says-person-possibly-trapped-vehicle-biden-briefed-disaster
Don't worry, sleepy Joe's been informed. It's not like a train derailment with toxic chemicals invasive to the ground and water sources in a small eastern Ohio town.
Which begs me to think? Where's the Sec. of Transportation? Oh wait... it's pride month so I'm sure he's busy with festivals and parades.
Is it possible for a tanker fire to cause a major bridge to collapse??????
My question as well. For ordinary citizens to impact this war we’d need to be united, at least to a greater degree. Secondly, the current government appears to care Not for its own citizens. They pander to select groups at election time and manufacture anything else they need to stay in power. They set a precident with January 6th, Covid, invaders at our borders, (and more) that they will use the law against us, ignore the law, use government agencies and propagandize/censor wherever needed to maintain the divide and control over occupants of this country, legal or illegal.
At least you guys can pop down to Walmart and buy a gun. The rest of us however are reduced to writing outraged emails to our MPs...
Some of us, depending on state laws, have to endure waiting periods of as much two weeks. Very inconvenient.