Month: March 2022

Saturday’s News You Cannot Use

It is the weekend and I would like to offer a few tidbits for my reader’s consideration…..hence “News You Cannot Use”…..

Panic buying in Europe….

Europeans are stocking up on survival gear like sleeping bags and camping cookers, as well as canned and dried food, in part to donate to refugees arriving from Ukraine and also due to fears of supplies being disrupted and conflict spreading.

Sales of products such as plastic cans, camping gear, batteries, flashlights and cell phone solar chargers jumped as much as sixfold in the past two weeks at Swedish hardware store chain Clas Ohlsson, a spokesperson said.

“It’s clear that people want to be prepared for crises. The biggest increase is for products recommended to have at home during a crisis, for example radios,” he said.

Sales of milk powder, pasta, grains, and canned foods rose by up to 20% in the past four weeks, according to Swedish grocery retailer Ica Gruppen.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-03-16/ukraine-war-sparks-europe-rush-to-buy-survival-gear-and-food

Food stuff is not the only panic buying going on…..Iodine…..

People across Europe are stocking up on iodine tablets against the backdrop of fears that the Russian invasion of Ukraine may “go nuclear.” 

Following antagonistic comments from President Vladimir Putin, people living in many former Eastern Bloc states, including Poland, Bulgaria, and Czechia, have been flocking to pharmacists to stock their cupboards with iodine tablets, Reuters reports. There have been similar reports of iodine selling out in pharmacies in Finland, which shares a border with Russia.

Panic buying has also hit the US with high demand for iodine tablets seeing packets selling on eBay for upwards of $149. But can iodine tablets really protect against radiation poisoning?

https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/why-people-are-panic-buying-iodine-tablets-amid-fear-of-nuclear-war/

The mouth of the South, Rep. Taylor-Green, has a new nemesis…..Anonymous.

The decentralized hacktivist group Anonymous does not take kindly to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s stupidity. When they call her “one of the dumbest politicians ever,” they are most likely referring to everything from her anti-vax/mask/science stance to her anti-Ukraine rhetoric to the Q-injected drivel that comes out of her mouth (or thumbs) every single day.

“Russian asset Marjorie Taylor Greene will go down in history as one of the dumbest politicians ever,” Anonymous tweeted yesterday. “History will not be kind to you, nor will we.”

About time these activist get involved with the BS that Green and her ilk spread.

I have made my thoughts on Daylight Savings time….now a couple of Senators wants to make it permanent and there are reports that Pelosi is on board with the idea…..but hopefully the Dems will fight back successfully…..

This week, the “Sunshine Protection Act” (what an adorable name) passed the Senate. The bill, which would make daylight saving time permanent, is popular with the public; people hate switching their clocks back and forth. And who doesn’t like sunlight?  (I do not believe it is as popular as they claim)

Time might stand still for the legislation to make daylight saving time permanent. The bill sailed through the Senate last week, but House members are less sure about it, the Hill reports. Several lawmakers of both parties said that they’d like to see more research on the issue or that the war in Ukraine is dominating their time now. Also, some argue permanent standard time would be healthier. Rep. John Yarmouth said House members weren’t expecting the Senate to pass the bill so quickly. “I don’t know that many members have really thought through it,” he said. House leaders plan a more deliberative approach, per the Washington Post.

The Biden administration isn’t sure about the time change, either. White House officials are looking the bill over, as are the Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council. “I don’t have a specific position from the administration at this point of time,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters last week. “We were unexpectedly sent this bill by the Senate. Now, we’re trying to absorb it,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, head of the House Democratic Caucus. A two-year trial of year-round daylight saving time wasn’t extended in the 1970s. For one thing, the promised energy savings were oversold. When the Senate rejected continuing with it, President Biden was a senator but didn’t case a vote; the White House has not said why.

Dark mornings were another issue. “Many, many people were getting up into pitch dark, going to work in the pitch dark, which they disliked,” said David Prerau, who’s written a book on the subject. “And they also disliked sending their kids to school in the dark, having to walk on dark country roads.” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she has constituents opposed “because we’re in Seattle and it is so dark.” If daylight saving time becomes the norm, she said, “it’s gonna be dark until like 9 o’clock in the morning.”

Now ask yourself….who benefits from making this waste of time permanent…..here is a hint….it is not you!

Finally, we all have heard all the claims of massive voter fraud in the 2020 election….and yet most of those charged have been from the GOP….and even some of the higher ups like Mark Meadows, Trump’s man…..

Former Trump aide Mark Meadows is under criminal investigation. Following a New Yorker story earlier this month raising the question of why Meadows registered to vote in North Carolina in 2020 when he was not living there, the State Bureau of Investigation confirmed it has opened a probe into the allegations, the News & Observer reports. Meadows, who moved to North Carolina from Florida in the 1980s and represented the state in Congress until he resigned to become then-President Trump’s chief of staff, sold his residence there in 2020 and has not lived there since, according to the New Yorker.

Yet on his voter registration paperwork, he claimed his residence was a mobile home in the state that, the New Yorker reports, he does not own and may never have even visited. The previous owner of the residence says Meadows’ wife rented it out briefly sometime in the past few years, but that Mark Meadows did not spend any time there during that rental period. The couple expressed no interest in buying the property when she put it up for sale, and someone else purchased it, she says. Local news station WRAL says it confirmed many of the details in the New Yorker story.

A spokeswoman for the North Carolina Attorney General’s office says the office got a request from Macon County District Attorney Ashley Welch that the state Department of Justice’s Special Prosecutions Sections assume her role in the issue due to a conflict of interest; Meadows had appeared in campaign ads for her and contributed to her campaign. The DOJ agreed, and the AG’s office requested the SBI investigate alongside the State Board of Elections

When will the idiots on the Right admit they lost the election and the voter fraud thing is not as massive as they claim….and when will the dullards realize they are being played by the GOP?

That is the news for this Saturday…..enjoy your weekend….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Those Chemical Weapons

Here we go again.

Think back to the beginning of the Syrian civil war…..the red line for US involvement was if someone used chemical weapons…..and BAM! The worse became reality and the rest is history.

Once again the US and its client states are once again finding a red line for US involvement…..those damn chemical weapons again.

I see a Cheney is on the front-lines of the rhetoric (like her daddy)….

Congresswoman Liz Cheney said the US should take action in Ukraine in the event Russia uses chemical weapons, echoing a recent threat by Washington’s UN envoy, who warned that America will “respond aggressively” if such weapons are deployed. 

Asked whether a “red line” should be established for intervention in Ukraine during an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday, Rep. Cheney (R-Wyoming) said chemical weapons would “alter our calculations” and potentially prompt a US and allied response.

“We in the West, the United States and NATO, we need to stop telling the Russians what we won’t do. We need to be very clear that we are considering all options,” she said, adding that “they [Russia] need to understand that if the brutality here increases, the United States will contemplate and consider every possible range of actions along with our NATO allies.”

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news-roundup/rep-cheney-suggests-chemical-weapons-red-line-in-ukraine-as-calls-for-us-intervention-grow-louder/

The EU people as well as NATO are claiming the same thing….

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that any use of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine would be considered a “blatant and brutal violation of international law.” 

“So any use of chemical weapons would be a blatant and brutal violation of international law, the ban on the use of chemical weapons,” Stoltenberg told moderator Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “At the same time we know that Russia has used chemical agents in Europe before, against their own political opponents and Russia has been facilitating and supporting the Assad regime in Syria, where chemical weapons has been used.” 

“[W]e are very much aware of that we need to act in a way that prevents this conflict from going from being a very bloody, ugly, horrific conflict in Ukraine to something that turns out to be a full fledged war between NATO and Russia, in Europe, and also potentially involving, of course, the United States directly,” Stoltenberg added.

(thehill.com)

Biden is on-board with the messaging…..

President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin may consider using chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine as his military struggled to achieve clear objectives.

…

“His back is against the wall,” Biden said. “That’s a clear sign he’s considering using both of those.”

He added: “He’s already used chemical weapons in the past, and we should we careful of what’s about to come.”

(businessinsider.com)

Now the stage is set….and that red-line drawn…..and wait begins…..

But there is one slight problem with all this messaging….especially from the media which is making it a priority to report on chem. weapons….

The United States has not yet seen any concrete indications of an imminent Russian chemical or biological weapons attack in Ukraine but is closely monitoring streams of intelligence for them, a senior U.S. defense official said.

President Joe Biden said on Monday, without providing evidence, that Russia’s false accusations that Kyiv has biological and chemical weapons illustrated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering using them himself in the war against Ukraine.

The U.S. official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, shared Biden’s assessment but added: “There’s no indication that there’s something imminent in that regard right now.”

(usnews.com)

Not to worry…..MSNBC’s Chuck Todd will do his part to promote another war…..

On Meet the Press, Todd repeatedly asked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg whether chemical weapons might change the Western calculus on intervention in Ukraine. Todd: “Is a No-fly Zone forever off the table or would the use of chemical weapons make NATO rethink.” And two minutes later, “Russia’s use of chemical weapons, would that be considered, though, an escalation on his [presumably Putin’s] part that would make NATO rethink?”

It may be hard to believe that Stoltenberg was unprepared to give some some sort of answer to this obvious question, but he is only good at regurgitating what he has memorized. Yesterday, in the absence of instructions from Washington, he appeared nonplused and gave a non-response. To which Todd replied condescendingly, “It does sound as though you don’t have an answer yet.”

Is Chuck Todd a Chemical Agent?

I am so glad that the media will do its part to try and get the US ass deep in another war.

Just recently Biden responded to a question about the use of chem weapons by Russia.

For weeks now, US officials have claimed without evidence that Russia could use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, and President Biden is now warning that NATO will “respond” if there is a Russian chemical weapons attack.

“We would respond. We would respond if he uses it. The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use,” Biden said at a press conference from NATO headquarters in Brussels.

When asked if that meant NATO would respond with military force, Biden said it would “trigger a response in kind, whether or not — you’re asking whether NATO would cross; we’d make that decision at the time.”

While the US has been warning of potential Russian chemical attacks, an anonymous Pentagon official said Tuesday that there’s no sign Moscow is planning to use the weapons. “There’s no indication that there’s something imminent in that regard right now,” the official said.

(antiwar.com)

The US started accusing Russia of plotting to use chemical or biological weapons when Russia’s claims about Pentagon-linked biological labs in Ukraine became a major news story. While the Biden administration is downplaying the labs as much as it can, there are biological labs in Ukraine funded by the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Please look beyond the popular rhetoric of the media and find the true nature of these claims.

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“lego ergo scribo”

Sad News

My son-in-law passed away last night he was 50 years old…..he went peacefully in his chair in front of the TV…..so IST will be posting what drafts I have so that I can be with my daughter and granddaughter in the time of need.

The family is spread over the entire South and my daughter is a basket case….so she will need a rock to learn on….

I will return as soon as possible.

R.I.P. Philip…..

Ukraine–Day 29

Same war–Different day…..

Battlefield Update. The Russians may have pulled back a bit from their positions east of Kyiv. A counterattack by the Ukrainians west of Kyiv have prevented the Russians from moving south and encircling the capital city. There are indications that Russian forces are employing more defensive tactics – digging in and emplacing mines. The battlefield is relatively static at the moment. In eastern Ukraine Russian forces are trying to envelop the Ukrainian forces – advancing from Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south. This would cut off Ukrainian forces in the east from their resupply routes. Russian forces may try to skirt around the city of Mykolaiv in an attempt to push towards Odessa.

Russian combat power is about 90% of the pre-invasion force that was arrayed on Ukrainian borders. NATO estimates (Wednesday) that Russia has lost between 7,000 to 15,000 in Ukraine. Overall NATO believes that between 30,000 to 40,000 Russians have been killed or wounded. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense says that as of Wednesday (Mar 23) the Russians have suffered over 15,000 KIA. Russian forces are experiencing shortages of cold weather clothing, food, and fuel. The conditions of the Russian soldiers are affecting their morale.

“We certainly have indications that morale is a growing problem inside the Russian forces that are fighting in Ukraine. We’ve seen increasing indications that morale and unit cohesion is a problem and yes, absolutely translates into potential military effectiveness issues.” 

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, March 23, 2022.

Fight for the Skies. The Ukrainian Air Force has some very skilled pilots. One U.S. Air National Guard unit has been training with them since 2002. Read more in “After Training Together for Years, Air Force Pilots Are Watching Ukrainian Friends Fight for Their Lives”, Task & Purpose, March 23, 2022. Watch a video explaining how a Turkish drone has become a star of the Ukrainian defense. (Defense News Weekly, Mar 21, 2022).

Maritime Activities. An amphibious landing force on several ships is still positioned in the Black Sea off the coast of Odessa to land a substantial element of Russian naval infantry. The Russian blockade of Ukrainian shipping continues.

Kyiv. Two million people remain in Kyiv. The supply lines are still open. The capital city of Ukraine is considered the primary objective of the Russians. The Capture of Kyiv would allow Russia to put in place its puppet government.

Lviv. The western Ukraine city of Lviv has been relatively untouched by the ground war taking place in eastern Ukraine. However, its citizens are preparing for a fight should it come to them. View a photo gallery of Lviv residents training for combat. (The Washington Post, Mar 23, 2022).

Mariupol. Almost 3,000 people were evacuated from the city on Wednesday (Mar 23). Located on the Sea of Azov, the coastal city of Mariupol is under siege by the Russians. This city is situated along the coastal road network that would provide Russia with a land bridge between Russia and the Crimea. Some estimates say that 100,000 Ukrainians remain in the city. The fighting is taking place street by street and block by block.

Situation Maps.  War in Ukraine by Scribble Maps. Read an assessment and view a map of the Russian offensive campaign by the Institute for the Study of War.

NATO Meeting on Thursday. The leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are meeting in Brussels today (Mar 24) to discuss the Ukrainian War. The conference will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. President Zelensky is expected to address the NATO leaders. NATO has decided to increase its military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. Four new battlegroups will be established to be based in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. This will bring the total number of NATO battlegroups in eastern Europe to eight. NATO has repeated its position that it will not send NATO troops into Ukraine nor fly aircraft in its airspace.

NATO and No-Fly Zone. NATO’s Secretary General has repeated the NATO position on a no-fly zone on Thursday (Mar 24):

“And to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine means that we need to impose it, and to impose a no-fly zone means that we need to massively attack Russian air defence systems in Russia, in Belarus and in Ukraine, and also be ready to shoot down Russian planes. And then the risk for a full-fledged war between NATO and Russia will be very high, and that will cause more deaths and more destruction.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, March 24, 2022

Refugees, IDPs, and Humanitarian Crisis. As of March 23, over 3,400,000 refugees have left Ukraine according to data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). Almost 5,000 people were evacuated from conflict areas in Ukraine. Seven of the nine humanitarian corridors were used on Wednesday. The United Nations Officer for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has published its Humanitarian Impact Situation Report for March 23, 2022.

Poland and Ukrainian Refugees. Poland has received the vast majority of the Ukrainians who have fled Ukraine. The nation has accepted more than 2 million refugees. No one can predict how long the Ukrainian refugees will be in Poland; perhaps many will never return to their home country. Once the refugees have been established in homes, the children will need to begin school and the adults will need to find work. Matching refugees to available jobs will be a challenge. See “For Ukrainian Refugees in Poland, Livelihood Needs Will Follow Humanitarian Ones”, RAND Corporation, March 18, 2022.

War Crimes. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia of committing war crimes. Read more in a U.S. Department of State press statement released on March 23, 2022 entitled “War Crimes by Russia’s Forces in Ukraine”.

Russia’s Nuclear Weapons. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published a 46 page report (PDF) entitled Russia’s Nuclear Weapons: Doctrine, Forces, and Modernization. The report covers Russian doctrine and deployment, arms control agreements, recent developments, modernization programs, and more. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45861

Sweden Sending Weapons. The Swedish defense minister said that his country will be sending additional anti-tank equipment to Ukraine. Sweden has already sent thousands of anti-tank weapons.

Cyber Attack on Railways. Ukrzaliznytsia says that its accounts were hacked. The state railway operator’s press service, online ticketing, and telephone services were temporarily unavailable. The passenger data is safe and the movement of trains continues.

The Will to Fight. Russia underestimated the resistance of the Ukrainians to the invasion. One of the main ingredients to waging war is for the population base to have the ‘will to fight’. Information operations and social media plays a huge role in that aspect of warfare and this is certainly true of the Ukraine War. Read more in “The Will to Fight in the Age of Social Media”, RAND Corporation, March 22, 2022.

The U.S. is Going to Up its IO Game in Europe. Read a “Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): DRL Strengthening Regional Media in Europe and Eurasia”, Department of State, March 23, 2022.

“Countries that are eligible for participation can include but are not limited to Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and the South Caucasus region.”

Russian Influence Abroad? The dismal record of the Russian military over the past four weeks has many national security observers perplexed. Also taking note are many of the nations that usually line up in the ‘Russian camp’ and host Russian forces in their countries. Russia’s poor performance thus far in the Ukraine war will likely have a negative impact on the Kremlin’s influence abroad – especially in the Middle East and in sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional Russian partners may reconsider their role as a ‘vassal state’ and could look to alternative guarantors of security. “How Will Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Impact Its Influence Abroad?”, The Soufan Center IntelBrief, March 24, 2022.

Russian Military Professionalism. When security experts analyze a country’s military they usually focus on hardware, equipment, airplanes, tanks, and ships. Less time is spent on military training and the professionalism of the military personnel. National security observers may have overestimated the capability of the Russian armed forces by overlooking one key factor – its professionalism. Read more in “Russia’s Problems with Military Professionalism”, RAND Corporation, March 21, 2022.

Missing in Russia’s Military Strategy. A retired Australian general provided his thoughts on what has gone wrong for the invading nation in the Ukraine War. Major General Mick Ryan (Ret.) identified three mission areas in Russia’s military strategy: cyber operations, poor Russian command and control, and a lack of human-machine teaming. “Retired ADF Major General breaks down Russian invasion, identifies missing capabilities”, Defence Connect, March 24, 2022.

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“Waltzing Toward Armageddon”

The conflict between Ukraine and “Vlad the Invader” has prompted all sorts of prediction about the possibility of something causing an all out world war……the amount of weapons being deployed by NATO in Ukraine and the surrounding member states does not bode well for any peace any time soon.

Supposedly the Cold War ended in 1989….but the death merchants have done what many thought was a dead subject…..

The Cold War, from 1945 to 1989, was a wild Bacchanalia for arms manufacturers, the Pentagon, the CIA, the diplomats who played one country off another on the world’s chess board, and the global corporations able to loot and pillage by equating predatory capitalism with freedom. In the name of national security, the Cold Warriors, many of them self-identified liberals, demonized labor, independent media, human rights organizations, and those who opposed the permanent war economy and the militarization of American society as soft on communism.

That is why they have resurrected it.

The decision to spurn the possibility of peaceful coexistence with Russia at the end of the Cold War is one of the most egregious crimes of the late 20th century. The danger of provoking Russia was universally understood with the collapse of the Soviet Union, including by political elites as diverse as Henry Kissinger and George F. Kennan, who called the expansion of NATO into Central Europe “the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-Cold War era.”

This provocation, a violation of a promise not to expand NATO beyond the borders of a unified Germany, has seen Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia inducted into the Western military alliance. This betrayal was compounded by a decision to station NATO troops, including thousands of US troops, in Eastern Europe, another violation of an agreement made by Washington with Moscow. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, perhaps a cynical goal of the Western alliance, has now solidified an expanding and resurgent NATO and a rampant, uncontrollable militarism. The masters of war may be ecstatic, but the potential consequences, including a global conflagration, are terrifying.

Waltzing Toward Armageddon with the Merchants of Death

Some even thinking that the dreaded third world war may have just begun when “Vlad the Invader” sent his forces into Ukraine….

Lawmakers and media outlets are warning that the war in Ukraine could trigger World War III, but some say it has already started—perhaps even years ago. Among them is billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who argued Saturday on Twitter that “WWIII has likely started already” while NATO members, fearful of Vladimir Putin, let Ukrainians do the fighting. “We are in the early innings of Putin’s global aspirations,” Ackerman added, per CNBC. “With each ‘victory,’ he is emboldened to take more. He is testing us, and we are failing the test each time.” Ackerman still sees room for stricter sanctions and tougher negotiations to work, especially if China gets involved, but “time is running short.” Among other voices:

  • Look at history: “We’re already in it,” said Russia expert Fiona Hill of World War III. She recently told Politico that “we keep thinking of World War I, World War II as these huge great big set pieces, but World War II was a consequence of World War I,” much like the Russia-Ukraine war grew out of changes in Russia in the twentieth century. “We are already in a hot war over Ukraine, which started in 2014. People shouldn’t delude themselves into thinking that we’re just on the brink of something. We’ve been well and truly in it for quite a long period of time.”America’s battle, too’: “Ukrainians are fighting for us, for the United States, for Europe, for you, for me,” writes columnist Trudy Rubin in the Philadelphia Inquirer under the headline “World War III has already started in Ukraine.” She understands NATO’s desire to avoid a hot war, but urges President Biden to consider options including a no-fly zone to protect Ukrainians from air assaults. “And—crucially—GOP leaders must finally chastise those in its ranks, including Donald Trump and Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, who praised Putin after this war began. They are enabling a war criminal, who feeds off the US political divisions they sow.”I will be very blunt’: “We do feel supported and we are grateful for all the help that we are getting,” Ukrainian parliament member Kira Rudik said Friday on MSNBC, adding that “the next step that we see is a no-fly zone over Ukraine. And I know that everybody is saying no, no, no, the Third World War will start. I will be very blunt with you: It has already started, because the attack on a nuclear plant … affects everybody.” Disaster at the Zaporizhzhya facility was narrowly averted, but Rudik noted that “radiation doesn’t really care what passport you’re holding.”
  • Article Five: Analysts warn that fighting in Ukraine could easily spark a wider war. “A dangerous and tragic case would be if Russian forces were to inadvertently, and I want to emphasize inadvertently, launch a missile that landed in a bordering NATO country, such as Poland,” Glennys Young, Russian expert and chair of the University of Washington history department, told Fortune. “If this were perceived by NATO commanders as an attack, and hopefully it wouldn’t, this would trigger the provisions of the NATO alliance’s Article Five.”

Dire predictions…..as an antiwar supporter I see all the weapons being spread around the region like peanut butter reminds me of the days before the beginning of WW1.

But that is just me.

Any thoughts on what will transpire over this invasion?

Before you answer you might want to check out a little history of US foreign policy…..it has, from the beginning, an aggressive policy…..

Note that by beginning our examination in the late nineteenth century, from the outset we pass over the aggressive and violent expansion of the territorial bounds of the United States up to the dawn of the twentieth century, when the size of the United States increased almost twelvefold. During that early period, besides the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Barbary Wars, and the Mexican-American War, the US fought no less than four dozen wars against the various Amerindian tribes and confederations that had previously held sway over the vast bounds of the western North American continent. So, too, we pass over its involvement in East Asia, in the Opium Wars, and in Korea and Japan—which it forced open at gunpoint in 1853. But the plain fact is, from its inception to the “closing of the frontier” in 1890, the US was engaged in armed conflicts of one kind or another with its various neighbors for almost 80 percent of its existence.

But by 1890, having officially declared complete its self-appointed manifest destiny, to expand the United States from Atlantic to Pacific, its gaze quickly turned abroad. The transformation of the relationship of the states to the federal government during the Civil War, as well as rapid industrialization and the spread of telegraph and railroad lines, meant the US was increasingly capable of projecting concentrated force abroad. Its interactions with other major powers over the following decade illustrate plainly one of the foundational realist principles of international relations: as its relative power increased, so too did the US’s demands for deference in its immediate vicinity. Indeed, as soon as it had achieved the requisite levels of internal cohesion and industrial might, the US set about enforcing its hitherto nominal regional hegemony.

https://mises.org/wire/us-foreign-policy-has-always-been-aggressive

Now you are armed with some thoughts on the current conflict…..so whatcha think?

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Ukraine–Day 28

No let up of the media coverage of the plight of the refugees…..the shelling of Ukraine’s cities by Russian artillery…..and the resistance continues….

Russian Campaign Update. Over 1,100 missiles have been fired into Ukraine. There were no real changes on the ground anywhere in Ukraine over the past few days. There was fighting and shelling in the Kyiv suburbs, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kherson. Some military experts say that Putin’s invasion hasn’t succeeded yet – but that it still has a chance over time. Russian military expert Michael Kofman says the next two weeks could determine the fate of Ukraine. Kofman points out that wars of attrition generally favor the nation with the greater manpower and material resources; of which Russia has both. (Politico, Mar 21, 2022). The Pentagon stated that Russia’s combat power in Ukraine has been diminished by 10%. Until significant reinforcements arrive the Russians will rely on long-range bombardment of Ukrainian military positions as well as civilian infrastructure. Some military commentators say that Russia is starting to adapt to a prolonged conflict, and that with a military significantly bigger than Ukraine’s, it may prevail. (Task & Purpose, Mar 21, 2022).

“They own the long clock. We are calculating time not in weeks or days – but in lives.”

Senior Ukrainian officer

Ukraine Defense. There have been local counterattacks by Ukraine on Russian positions. The ability of the military to conduct major offensives is limited. They have been successful in holding the Russians at bay in Kyiv. The Russian positions are currently (Mar 22) about 15 km to the northwest and about 30 km to the east. The Ukrainian defense has been stiff – with a great reliance on anti-aircraft and anti-armor missiles. When these supplies are depleted things will get more complicated for Ukraine.

Fight for the Skies. Against the odds, the Ukrainian Air Force continues to work at denying Russia air superiority over Ukraine. It wasn’t wiped out on the ground and in the air in the first few days of the war, as many predicted, the Ukraine Air Force is still flying. The Ukrainian airplanes have been dispersed to smaller airstrips in the western part of the country. Most air operations by the Russians are conducted at night. Read more in “Ukrainian Fighter Pilots Describe Their Desperate Air War Against Russia”, The WarZone, March 22, 2022. One Ukrainian fighter pilot came out of retirement to defend his nation. Read the story of the “Grey Wolf“, one of the most respected pilots in the Ukrainian Air Force. Unfortunately, he was killed when his aircraft was struck by a Russian anti-aircraft missile. The New York Times has an article about how the Ukrainian Air Force is fighting back. (subscription).

Maritime Activities. An amphibious landing force on several ships is still positioned in the Black Sea off the coast of Odessa and could potentially land a substantial element of Russian naval infantry. If a landing takes place, it would likely be a supporting action for a ground assault on Odessa from the Crimea region. Maritime activity in the Black Sea has been quiet, with no shelling of the coastline of Ukraine in the past 24 hours. The Russians have about 21 ships in the Black Sea – about a dozen surface combatants and maybe 9 amphibious shops for landing troop and tanks. The Russian blockade of Ukrainian shipping continues. There are about seven ships in the Sea of Azov, one of them a minesweeper.

Kyiv. The Russians continue to shell the capital city and strengthen their defensive positions. There were a series of small attacks carried out by the Russians and Ukrainians with no significant change of the battlespace. Some small towns in the Kyiv area to the west and north have changed hands. Ukrainian forces have retaken Makariv, located west of Kyiv. It is considered a key objective that hinders the move southward of Russian forces that might try to encircle Kyiv.

Kharkiv. The city has experienced heavy shelling over the past two days (Mar 21 and 22). There are no indications that the Russians can take Kharkiv. The city is not yet encircled and supply routes from the west are still open. At least half of the 1.4 million residents have fled to the west. Many of the city residents are living in basements or in the underground metro. “Life underground: Ukrainian families make new homes in the Kharkiv subway”, The Washington Post, March 21, 2022.

Mariupol. This coastal city is seeing continued bombardment by artillery and long-range missiles. Some missiles have been fired from the Sea of Azov where the Russians have five to six ships. The estimated civilian population ranges from 250,000 to 300,000 people. The supplies of water, food, and other essential items are very low. More than 1,200 citizens were evacuated on Tuesday (Mar 22), most of them on evacuation buses.

Mykolayiv and Odessa. The city remains in Ukrainian hands. The Russians are located to the north and northeast of the city. Located on the west bank of the Dnieper River close to the coast of the Black Sea, Mykolayiv is a strategic objective for the Russians that is on the road to Odessa located further west along the coast of the Black Sea. If Odessa does fall to the Russians, then it could decide the fate of neighboring Moldova.

Situation Maps.  War in Ukraine by Scribble Maps. Read an assessment and view a map of the Russian offensive campaign by the Institute for the Study of War. See this resource for additional maps about the Ukraine War.

Biden Travels to Europe Wednesday. According to statements by the U.S. government, President Biden will be traveling to Europe to speak with European leaders and meet with NATO officials. He will attend an emergency NATO meeting, address the European Council, meet with Group of Seven (G-7) leaders in Brussels. He will then head to Poland on Friday. It is expected that Biden will announce new sanctions on Russia during the European visit.

Refugees, IDPs, and Humanitarian Crisis. As of March 22, over 3,400,000 refugees have left Ukraine according to data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). The highest amount of refugee traffic into Poland occurred in the first weeks of March – reaching well over 100K a day. The daily amount into Poland now is about 25K. Over 2.5 million have gone to Poland since the invasion began.

Russian and Chemical Weapons. Things are not going Russia’s way in Ukraine. They may decide to step it up and escalate, possibly with the use of chemical weapons. Analysts say that Russia may attack chemical plants in Ukraine. This could be part of a ‘false flag’ operation where the Russians attack a chemical facility, cause a ‘discharge’ of dangerous elements, blame it on the Ukrainians, and then respond with their ‘own’ chemical attack as a retaliation. “Is Russia getting ready to use chemical weapons in Ukraine?”, New Scientist, March 22, 2022.

Prison for Russian Dissident. Aleksey Navalny, a leading opposition leader in Russia, has been sentenced to nine more years in a high security prison. He has long pushed for transparency and accountability from the Putin regime. As an opposition politician and anti-corruption activist he has been persecuted by Putin’s government. In 2020 he almost died as a result of being poisoned by Russian security services. He has been imprisoned since returning to Russia from overseas after receiving medical treatment. “Aleksey Navalny Unjustly Convicted Again”, U.S. Department of State, March 22, 2022.

U.S. ABCTs. At the height of the Cold War the United States had seven armored brigades in Europe, but they were gradually drawn down with the last one inactivated in 2013. There are currently five Armored Brigade Combat Teams deployed overseas; three in Europe, one in the Central Command region, and one in the Pacific. One ABCT has been in Europe as part of the Atlantic Resolve rotation, one is heading to Europe, and one deployed to Europe just after the Ukraine invasion by Russia. The active component has 11 ABCTs while the National Guard has five ABCTs. Read more in “Armor brigade workload may dramatically increase if Ukraine crisis holds”, Army Times, March 22, 2022. And while we are talking about tanks . . . Max Boot says that Russian tanks are taking a beating and asks if they still have a place on the modern battlefield? (The Washington Post, Marc 22, 2022).

Russian Comms – Ukraine is Listening. Russia’s encrypted military phones aren’t working. The Russians did not properly plan for communications for a long-term military campaign. Ukraine has been either listening or jamming Russian communications. Apparently Russia’s encrypted cell phones rely on 3G and 4G communications towers. However, the Russians bombed many these towers in the early days of the campaign. So now they are stealing phones from Ukrainian citizens and using them to pass classified traffic in the clear. Ukraine has banned all mobile numbers carrying Russia’s country code. “The Ukrainians Are Listening: Russia’s Military Radios Are Getting Owned”, Foreign Policy, March 22, 2022.

Russia Bans Meta. A Russian court ruled that the firm that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp is an extremist organization and has banned it from operating in Russia. This is a continuation of an anti-press campaign to control the news that Russians consume.

The IO Fight. The Russians are losing the information operations fight internationally. Where they appear to be successful is within the borders of Russia. A clampdown on the media has resulted in the state-driven narrative becoming successful. Most Russians support the war in Ukraine and believe the lies of the Putin regime. Read more in “US, Ukraine quietly try to pierce Putin’s propaganda bubble”, AP News, March 22, 2022.

Ukraine’s Legionnaires and Lessons of Finland. Ukraine is in a fight for its life. Recruiting foreigners to serve in its armed forces is a logical thing to do. The country should study the successes and missteps of Finland during the 1939 ‘Winter War’ with the Soviet Union. “Lessons from Finland for Ukraine and Its Foreign Legion”, War on the Rocks, March 21, 2022.

West Ignored Eastern Europe – and Now Pays the Price. Edward Lucas discusses the origins of the Ukraine catastrophe – and says it lies in the Western mindscape. “The Blame Game”, Europe’s Edge, March 21, 2022.

CIA Officer: Russia’s Failure No Surprise. A former Central Intelligence Officer who worked in the agency’s covert operation against the Red Army in Afghanistan four decades ago is not surprised at the ineffectiveness of the Russian Army. He said that Russia’s troops were plagued by bad maintenance, poor chains of command, low morale, desertions, and alcoholism. The campaign in Ukraine has turned into a long slog and an embarrassment to the Kremlin. “Russian Army’s Fail No Surprise to CIA Official Who Battled it in Afghanistan”, SpyTalk, March 22, 2022.

Political Defeat for Russia? Pavel K. Baev is a senior researcher at the International Peace Research Institute (PRIO), in Oslo. He describes the political costs of the Ukraine War that Russia is suffering now and will in the future. “Stalled Military Offensive and Unfolding Political Defeat for Russia in Ukraine”, Eurasia Daily Monitor, The Jamestown Foundation, March 21, 2022.

So ends another day and another compilation……

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Someone Is Gonna Pay

The Russian forces, according to the MSM and its pundits, have hit a Ukrainian road block….the slow progress is due, again according to the paid pundits, logistics suck, Ukrainian resistance, poorly trained Russian soldiers and low moral.

‘Vlad the Invader’ has decided to do something about these ‘problems’……

Several British media outlets are reporting that Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed some of the country’s top intelligence agents under house arrest, a possible retaliation for faulty intelligence leading up to the invasion of Ukraine.

The Sunday Times reported that Sergey Beseda, head of the foreign intelligence branch of the FSB, Russia’s version of the CIA, was arrested along with Anatoly Bolyukh, his deputy.

The Times said the arrests had been confirmed by both Andrei Soldatov, who is co-founder and editor of the investigative website Agentura, and by Vladimir Osechkin, an exiled Russian human rights activist.

https://youtu.be/1EwxhHsBhtM

Someone’s gonna pay!

Sounds about right….but hearing that I thought back to the invasion of Iraq 2003…..as an opponent to the Iraq war I think we should have done something similar for all the lies that led to that invasion and subsequent occupation….a few names that come to mind….. George Tenet, Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith, John Yoo and Paul Wolfowitz 

Just a fanciful thought on my part.

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Is NATO Defensive?

In April of 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed…..it was suppose to be a defensive move to block the Western expansion of the USSR after they engulfed most of Eastern Europe.

In the beginning a US Senator was opposed to the creation of NATO….

Sen Robert Taft (R-OH)…..made his thoughts known…..

Sen. Robert Taft arguing against the creation of NATO: “The building up of a great army surrounding Russia…means inevitably an armament race, and armament races in the past have led to war…[NATO] will do far more to bring about a third world war than it ever will to maintain the peace.”

Damn a very prophetic thought on the function of NATO…..

Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union more countries…..today there are 30 member states and others waiting for approval…..

File:NATO Members and Dates of Accession.jpg

Ukraine–Day 27

The brutal use of force are still punishing the Ukrainian population more than the forces that are in opposition…..

And the saga continues……

Russian Campaign Update. The shelling of Ukrainian cities by Russian artillery, missiles, and air strikes continues, taking a toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Major movement on the ground by Russian forces has been limited. Some cities are experiencing probing attacks and there are reports that Russian SOF have entered parts of the cities and engaging in firefights. Russia has launched over 1,100 missiles against targets in Ukraine, possibly expending about 1/2 of their inventory. The Russians have taken only a few population centers – the largest being Kherson in the south. Ukraine says over 15,000 Russians have been killed in the war, while many Western officials say the numbers are around 9,000.

The Russians appear to have shifted its strategy from capturing major cities to attempting to encircle them and force them to surrender with indiscriminate shelling. Russian offensive action has been limited due to problems with command and control, lack of fuel, logistics difficulties, communications difficulties, and a stiff Ukrainian defense. Thus far, the Russians have captured three sizeable cities – Melitopol, Berdyans’k, and Kherson. They are still trying to capture Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. There are indications that the Ukrainians may go on the offensive to recapture Kherson.

Ukrainian Defense. The Russians have been frustrated by the stiff opposition put up by the Ukraine military. Progress over the past few weeks has been very slow for the Russians and the continued dogged defense of the large cities by the Ukrainians have been costly. Ukrainian air defense has been very nimble and on the move to avoid being neutralized by air attacks and missile strikes.

Fight for the Skies. It is believed that the Russian Air Force is facing inventory problems with their precision-guided munitions. In addition, some of their munitions are failing to launch, not hitting targets, or failing to explode on contact. Some reports indicate that the Russians are conducting more air sorties now than in days past – perhaps as many as 300 sorties a day conducting air to ground attacks. Many Russian aircraft do not leave Russian or Belarusian airspace. When they do overfly Ukraine it isn’t for very long or far into Ukrainian airspace. Although there have been reports that Slovakia would send some of their S-300 missile systems to Ukraine, it seems it hasn’t happened yet. Germany has sent one of its Patriot batteries to Slovakia to enhance their air defense capability.

Drone Warfare. Ukrainian drones have been having great success against Russian targets. Drones as simple as the cheap, commercial ones available online to more complex ones like the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 are taking a toll on the Russians. One of the more favorite targets are Russian convoys that are parked along the side of a road at night. The Ukrainian drone unit, Aerorozvidka, was started in 2014 by model plane enthusiasts. The unit is now flying up to 300 missions a day. “We strike at night, when the Russians sleep – How Ukraine is stalking Russian armor with drones”, Task & Purpose, March 21, 2022.

Maritime Activities. An amphibious landing force on several ships is still positioned in the Black Sea off the coast of Odessa to land a substantial element of Russian naval infantry. It is doubtful if it will be employed unless the Russians make further ground advances toward Odessa along the Black Sea coast. The intentions of Russian amphibious warships in the Black Sea are unclear. This force will likely continue to pose a threat requiring the Ukrainians to keep forces available to counter it – which precludes those ground units from fighting at the frontlines. This Russian fleet is conducting shelling and missile attacks against Ukrainian targets along the Black Sea coast and into the interior of Ukraine. The Russian blockade of Ukrainian shipping continues.

Kyiv. The capital city of Ukraine is considered the primary objective of the Russians. The capture of Kyiv would allow Russia to put in place its puppet government. The Russian offensive against Kyiv has been stalled. The city is undergoing shelling from artillery, missiles, and rockets. There are limited Ukrainian counterattacks taking place in the Kyiv area – with the Ukrainians retaking a key suburb of Kyiv. The Russians are being held at a distance from the city center – 15 klics NW of Kyiv and 30 klics east of Kyiv. Indications are that the Russians are reinforcing their defensive positions.

Kharkiv. The second largest city of Ukraine is Kharkiv located in the northeast of the country. The Ukrainians are holding out in this city and it has not yet been encircled. Refugees have been leaving whenever the humanitarian corridors open up.

Mariupol. Most of the population of Mariupol spend their time in shelters and basements seeking safety from the constant shelling by the Russians. When they do venture out it is in search for water and food. The city is in ruin with entire neighborhoods devastated. Between 18 and 20 March more than 13,000 people have been evacuated from the city. Russia has been accused of forcibly removing thousands of Ukrainians from Mariupol to camps in Russia after having their cell phones screened and Ukrainian passports confiscated. This city is situated along the coastal road network that would provide Russia with a land bridge between Russia and the Crimea. Mariupol is a key port city on the Sea of Azov and a link between the Russian-occupied Donbass area and Russian-occupied Crimea. “Ukraine conflict: Russia trying to starve Mariupol into surrender”, BBC News, March 20, 2022. The Russians demanded the surrender of the city but Ukraine rejected those demands. (Military Times, Mar 21, 2022).

Mykolayiv. Located on the west bank of the Dnieper River close to the coast of the Black Sea, Mykolayiv is a strategic objective for the Russians that is on the road to Odessa located further west along the coast of the Black Sea. The Russian attack on this major city has been stalled.

Negotiations. The Ukrainian president says direct talks with Vladimir Putin are necessary to understand Moscow’s position on ending the war. Putin is unlikely to meet with Zelensky. (Aljazeera, Mar 21, 2022).

Situation Maps.  War in Ukraine by Scribble Maps. Read an assessment and view a map of the Russian offensive campaign by the Institute for the Study of War. The ISW provides a very detailed tactical overview of the situation.

Refugees, IDPs, and Humanitarian Crisis. As of March 22, over 3,400,000 refugees have left Ukraine according to data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). Over 6.5 million people have been internally displaced within Ukraine. On Monday (Mar 21) over 8,000 people were evacuated from cities through humanitarian corridors. 3,000 of them came from the embattled city of Mariupol. Read the latest report published on Monday (Mar 21) by OCHA Ukraine on the humanitarian impact of the war.

Poland Steps Up to Assist Refugees – But There Will be Some Issues. Most of the refugees have gone to Poland as part of the largest migration crisis in post-war European history. Two million people have fled Ukraine for Poland, mostly women and children. The refugees can stay in Poland for up to 18 months and the healthcare system has opened up to them. However, Poland is poorly equipped to handle this many people over the long-term. Western governments will need to find a way to help Poland financially and logistically. Read more in “Poland’s refugee crisis in waiting”, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, ASPI, March 22, 2022.

Meetings in Europe. President Biden and Secretary of Defense Austin will be meeting with European leaders and NATO officials this week . . . the topic, of course, is the Ukraine War. Part of the visit will entail a trip to Poland. One topic that could come up is the Polish proposal of a NATO ‘peacekeeping force’ to enter Ukraine.

Russia’s ‘Kinzhal’. Much has been made of Russia’s ‘hypersonic’ missile but most defense experts say there is not much special or particularly exciting about it. The Kinzhal is an air launched version of the Iskander-M. Launched from an aircraft gives it added range. Currently, within the context of the Ukraine War, it seems to be more of a propaganda tool than anything else. Still dangerous, but not the ‘ultimate weapon’ everyone initially pronounced it to be. Read more in “US can’t verify Russian hypersonic missile claim, official says”, The Hill, March 21, 2022.

Banning Wikipedia? There are rumors that Russia’s censorship office may block Russian Wikipedia. Some Russians are making local copies of Wikipedia before it gets blocked. The 29-gigabyte file that contains the Russian-language Wikipedia was downloaded over 100,000 times during the first half of March. This was a 4,000 per cent increase compared with the first half of January. “Russians Are Racing to Download Wikipedia Before It Gets Banned”, Slate, March 21, 2022.

Russia’s Cyber Attack on Ukraine. Before Russia moved its troops and tanks into Ukraine it conducted a wave of cyberattacks. Websites were hamstrung, malware infected computers, denial of service attacks took place, and communications were hampered. But the widespread digital devastation of critical infrastructure did not happen. No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously as Russia. But in the current conflict this capability seems to have not been used to its fullest extent. Are the Russians holding back? Read more in “Blue, yellow and gray zone: the cyber factor in Ukraine”, C4ISRNET, March 14, 2022.

U.S. Held Soviet Weapons Going to Ukraine? The United States has captured, snatched, or otherwise acquired various Russian-made air defense systems over the years. They could be heading to Ukraine. Some of these systems have been in storage at the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Read more in “Secretive American Stocks of Soviet Air Defense Systems Are Headed to Ukraine”, The WarZone, March 21, 2022.

Hungary – a Balancing Act? Although the international response to the Russian aggression towards Ukraine has been strong there are still some countries that are less than strident in their condemnation of Russia. The UAE, India, and China are among those. So is Hungary. It opposes a no-fly zone over Ukraine and an embargo on Russian energy.

Saudi Arabia. The United States is finding out a little more about its friendship with the Saudis. Pleas by the U.S. for this country to increase its oil production to help ease the spike in world oil prices has fallen on deaf ears. In fact, the Saudis are using the Ukraine War and its oil resources as leverage against the United States. It is warming up to China in what many see as a realigning of the international order. Read more in “Saudi Crown Prince Uses Leverage Against the United States”, The Soufan Center Intel Brief, March 22, 2022. Of course, the lack of Saudi cooperation hasn’t seem to diminish the eagerness of the United States to transfer Patriot missile batteries to that country to help it defend against missile and drone attacks from Yemen.

Western SOF? Some conjecture that Western special operations forces are actively engaged in supporting Ukrainian forces in the conflict is now taking place. Certainly they are ‘in touch’ with their Ukrainian SOF counterparts . . . but to what degree? The Brits could be leaning forward in this area.

Mercenaries in Ukraine. Both warring countries are actively recruiting foreigners to their fighting ranks. Robert Lawless, managing director of the Lieber Institute for Law & Land Warfare at the United States Military Academy (West Point), examines the legality of ‘mercenaries’ in the Ukraine War. “Are Mercenaries in Ukraine?”, Articles of War, March 21, 2022. There has been a lot of talk about Syrians going to Ukraine to fight on behalf of the Russians, but there has not been a detectable influx of foreign fighters hired or recruited by Russia. There are hundreds of ‘private soldiers’ of the Wagner Group currently engaged in combat in Ukraine.

Ukraine, Nukes, and the Indo-Pacific. Countries around the world are watching the Ukraine War with great interest. They have observed the West refrain from some potentially escalatory responses (no-fly zone, MiG-29s, etc.) due to the verbal threats of Putin to employ nuclear weapons. They also know that the agreement between Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom to ensure the security of Ukraine if it gave up its nuclear weapons was meaningless. There are lessons here for the nations of the Indo-Pacific. North Korea is going to continue to improve its nuclear weapons capability, China is engaged in a nuclear modernization program, and Pakistan has nukes as well. Read more in “Ukraine war may drive more Indo-Pacific nations towards nuclear weapons”, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, ASPI, March 22, 2022.

And the beat goes on…..

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Ban The Opposition

After 3 weeks of constant conflict the president of Ukraine, Zelensky, has done what ‘leaders’ do in time of war….ban any political opposition and nationalized the media……control of the political process and the machine for propaganda must be in the hands on the party in power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky banned 11 opposition political parties and nationalized media. Any activities supporting the parties labeled “pro-Russian” are now illegal.

Axios reports the list of parties now banned include: Platform For Life, Shariy Party, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Left Opposition, Union of Left Forces, State, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialists Party, and Volodymyr Saldo Bloc.

Platform for Life is Ukraine’s largest opposition party and currently holds 44 seats in parliament. Last year, The party’s leader, Viktor Medvedchuk, was accused of treason and placed under house arrest.

Another targeted party, Nashi, is led by Yevhen Murayev. The UK previously accused Murayev of working with Moscow to overthrow the Ukrainian government. However, Murayev was sanctioned by Russia in 2018.

Ukraine’s Russian minority has faced increased discrimination since the 2014 coup. The opposition parties largely represent the 17% of the Ukrainian people who are ethnic Russians. Language and cultural laws have targeted Russian movies, including one starring Zelensky.

The new presidential order is a part of Zelensky’s effort to create a unified political narrative in Ukraine. He has announced an information policy that combines “all national TV channels…[into] a single information platform of strategic communication.”

(antiwar.com)

Personally I have a problem with these moves….only one voice for the ‘news’…..I realize that Ukraine is fighting for their very existence and these moves are part of the program of survival….

Only one voice could be disastrous….abuses will be in the wind.

Any thoughts on this turn of events?

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