Month: May 2022

What Is A “Spin Doctor”?

I am sure this ought get some interesting comments….that is if the post is read….most times the title alone gets the juices flowing for some.

We hear the term ‘spin’ daily….every issue that we think is important has a group that will make you believe their spin (propaganda)…..

But what is a ‘spin doctor’…..a spokesperson employed to give a favorable interpretation of events to the media, especially on behalf of a political party.

But let’s look at the idea…..

Ever since the ideological mastermind of modern public relations – Edward Bernays – suggested to modernize the word “propaganda” by calling it public relations, PR and Spin (a form of propaganda) had been with us. And, today, our world is overflowing with ideas that are shaping “professional” spin doctors.

The top ten firms employing rafts of spin-doctors are companies, for which most of us have probably never heard of, namely: Edelman, Weber Shandwick, BCW, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Brunswick, MSL, BlueFocus, Real Chemistry, (and my personal favorite) Hill+Knowlton. They are ready to give the pathologies of capitalism a nice face.

These propaganda companies – euphemistically re-labeled “PR firms” – employ thousands of communication experts. These firms seek to achieve what PR’s Godfather, the aforementioned Edward Bernays, had set out for them to do when he said:

“the significant revolution of modern times is not industrial or economic or political but the revolution which is taking place in the art of creating consent among the governed.”

Creating consent among “the governed” (as he called us) to have a positive, if not supportive, attitude to capitalism, is the job of public relations. Its spin is a form of propaganda. This is achieved, for example, through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event. Unsurprisingly, this also includes corporate campaigning to influence public opinion – creating a positive image – about companies, corporations, and ultimately – capitalism.

What Spin Doctors Do

There is no better example of ‘spin’ than the current situation in Ukraine…..the media with the help of ‘spin doctors’ have the American people oozing with admiration for Ukraine’s leader…..they helped turn chicken manure into sirloin for the defense industry and in turn created a ‘hero’.

I admit that I have been leery of the Zelensky admiration society….there is something more there…..more than the orchestrated appearances and speeches.

It must be understood that escalation takes us in the wrong direction, because a war against a nuclear armed power can’t be won. Without this crucial realization the most impossible things become possible, like a hero saving the world. Of course it’s essential to have inspiration and motivation in trying times, but it’s also essential to be practical.

The reason why we should not admire Zelensky is because he doesn’t seem very committed to de-escalating the war. He has said that acquiring more weapons will definitely make him win the war; a powerful argument on its own, but when one considers that only a negotiated settlement can end the war, it dissolves into an impossible promise.

Zelensky’s seeming intransigence makes the possible solutions to the war even more bewildering. If a noble goal is to prevent a nuclear war, shouldn’t there be more emphasis on diplomacy? Yet Zelensky relentlessly implores the world for more and more weapons. Without any appearance of alternatives it’s very easy to assume that more weapons are the answer to ending the war and bringing peace.

Why We Should Not Admire Zelensky

I am not saying that we should totally abandon Ukraine….all I am saying is that there is always two sides and so far our cracker jack media gives one side and one side only….they seldom do what they were trained to do….look beyond and beneath every story.

‘Spin’ is just a more acceptable term for propaganda…the problem is few bother to check the stories out as a complete report of one side of the coin.

Where does your opinion come from….?

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“lego ergo scribo”

On To ‘Cybergeddon’

Cybergeddon?

WTF?

Allow me to help you out…..

refers to cataclysm resulting from a large-scale sabotage of all computerized networks, systems and activities. It combines cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare, cybercrime, and hacktivism into scenarios of wide-scale internet disruption or economic collapse. Economic or industrial infrastructure could be targeted, such as banks or industrial control systems. Since 2012, the amount of Internet-based attacks and their complexity have increased.

“Cybergeddon is a possibility,” FireEye CEO Ashar Aziz explained in an interview with Bloomberg: “Attacks on critical infrastructures such as the power grid or financial institutions could wreak havoc not just on United States economy, but in fact, the world economy.”

Since 2005 (maybe earlier) we have been warned of that massive army of Russian hackers…allegedly run by the GRU (Russian intelligence) just positioning for the massive hack of our vital systems…..

So for damn near 20 years we have been warned and we have been waiting for ‘cybergeddon’….so what are they waiting on?

Now with the war in Ukraine and the growing sanctions on Russia imposed by most of the Western alliance…..I ask again….what are they waiting on?

Russia’s war in Ukraine, now nearing its 10-week mark, has been devastating, killing thousands of civilians and forcing millions to flee their homes. Thus far, this devastation has been wrought primarily by conventional military means, without Moscow launching the “full-scale cyber assault” or “cybergeddon-scale attacks” feared early on. As various authors have pointed out, “Ukrainian air defense and aircraft didn’t appear to be affected by cyber disruptions, and there are no reports of critical infrastructure damage from cyberattacks”; “Ukraine’s electricity grid, its communications systems and other infrastructure are still largely up. Its president is streaming from his government office.” Why?

One group of scholars has long argued that expectations of cyber apocalypse have been overblown, with doomsayers ignoring that cyber and military campaigns serve different purposes. Cyber operations, these experts say, are neither “catastrophic weapons of destruction” nor good for “managing destruction at scale”—meaning they’re unlikely to be the game-changers many anticipated in modern warfare. “It’s much simpler,” four of these authors write, “for Russia to launch an artillery barrage at a [Ukrainian] power substation than to hack it from Moscow.”

https://www.russiamatters.org/analysis/why-hasnt-russia-unleashed-cybergeddon-its-war-ukraine

Even more thoughts…..

https://www.cigionline.org/articles/ukraines-missing-cybergeddon/

Would not now be the time for Russia to unleash ‘cybergeddon’ as a retaliation for all the woes the West is imposing on Russia?

Is it possible that the whole ‘cybergeddon’ was just another political smoke screen?

Just and few thoughts…..

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“lego ergo scribo”

Is Belarus Going To War?

Belarus is an ally to Russia and has been supporting the invasion of Ukraine by Vlad the Invader…..the war of words is amazing…..but now reports are coming out that Belarus may be poised to help its ally Russia….

Belarus?

Belarus Country Information

The Ukrainian state security service has officially reported that a rocket attack on Zhytomyr Airport – located some 93 miles west of Kiev – was launched from the territory of Belarus. 

Belarusian special forces were seen loading onto airplanes in preparation for an air assault on Kyiv in what could be a widening of the war, military sources stated.

Ukrainian intelligence has reportedly learned from within Belarus that ‘special ops’ troops have been spotted loading up planes for a major attack.

Videos have circulated of the explosion at Zhytomyr Airport, with reports of shockwaves nearby. 

A widening of the conflict to potentially include Russian ally Belarus could signal Vladimir Putin’s growing fury and frustration as the Russian campaign appears to get bogged down in fierce fighting around Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second biggest city. It could also run the risk of sucking in other states including NATO allies, triggering a pan-European conflict.

In a bizarre rant on Sunday, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko warned that the war in Ukraine will ‘become a meat grinder’.

Speaking at a polling station during a referendum on constitutional change that would give the despot further power, the Putin ally thundered: ‘The conflict in Ukraine is the thin edge of the wedge. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. If it continues like this, the worst will happen.

‘He [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky] will not be hidden in any American or some other bunker. That’s why the war should be ended today. I wouldn’t even call it the war. This is a conflict. The war will last for one-two days, but there will be a meat grinder in three days.’

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Kyiv’s former defence minister, has claimed that Belarus is about to declare war on Ukraine. The Guardian quoted Zagorodnyuk as saying: ‘Republic of Belarus is highly likely to join the Russian war against Ukraine. On Russian side. There is an information about airborne troopers from Republic of Belarus loaded on the planes to enter Ukraine.

‘This is a terrible development as it involves a country, which until very recently was a great friend of Ukraine; which people always considered Ukraine as a brotherly nation. Ukraine and Belarus has never been to war one with another in their many hundred years of history.

‘We believe that the only reason for that decision was personal demand from President of Russia, which completely depends from Putin in its policy.’

(dailymail.co.uk)

Where will this go?

Would this expansion start a spiral that will eventually involve the US and its troops?

Do you actually care?

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“lego ergo scribo”

Biden On Inflation

Inflation is roaring to new heights daily…..high gas prices….runaway food prices….everything is making life difficult for most Americans…..

With an election approaching Biden has decided to sound more in control than he is…….

How about those gas prices?

About a month ago, President Biden ordered the release of a million barrels of oil a day from national reserves to help curb steep gas prices. On Tuesday, however, those gas prices reached their steepest point on record—an average of $4.37 across the US, reports the Hill. No state has gas for less than $3.90, and drivers in California are paying $5.84. When adjusted for inflation, Americans paid more in 2008, the equivalent of an average of $5.37 a gallon in today’s dollars. But Biden himself on Tuesday acknowledged the hit to people’s wallets from rising prices in general.

“I know that families all across America are hurting because of inflation,” he said in a White House speech Tuesday, per Reuters. “I want every American to know that I am taking inflation very seriously and it is my top domestic priority.” Biden, apparently trying to head off voter resentment before the midterms, sought to blame Republicans for holding up his agenda and contrasted his plans with one floated by GOP Gov. Rick Scott of Florida for a minimum federal income tax, reports the Washington Post.

“The bottom line is this: Americans have a choice right now between two paths reflecting two very different sets of values,” Biden said. “My plan attacks inflation and lowers the deficit. … The other path is the ultra MAGA plan.” Emma Vaughn, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, counters: “Voters know that Republican-led states are leading in economic recovery and job creation, and will vote for Republicans and our proven agenda come November.”

This is all so much bullsh*t!

How will he work ‘lower deficits”?

I mean we are throwing money at Ukraine in a shocking amounts….money that is needed here….but no somebody somewhere has decided war is more important (read profitable) than the people of this country.

I want to see this ‘plan’ more in detail….but what little information I have it is nothing more than election posturing that is no help to those Americans struggling with their monetary lives.

But what the big story is that inflation may be slowing before the plan is announced…

Inflation slowed in April after seven months of relentless gains, a tentative sign that price increases may be peaking while still imposing a financial strain on American households. Consumer prices jumped 8.3% last month from 12 months earlier, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That was below the 8.5% year-over-year surge in March, which was the highest rate since 1981, reports the AP. On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.3% from March to April, a still-elevated rate but the smallest increase in eight months. Consumer prices had spiked 1.2% from February to March, mostly because of a sudden jump in gas prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Still, the Wall Street Journal points out that the so-called core-price index—which drops some volatile categories, like food and energy—was up 0.6%, a “sharp pickup” from March’s 0.3% rise. Nationally, the price of a gallon of regular gas has reached a record $4.40, according to AAA, though that figure isn’t adjusted for inflation. Gas had fallen to about $4.10 a gallon in April, after reaching $4.32 in March. The April report “suggests that the deceleration is going to be painstakingly slow,” Principal Global Investors chief strategist Seema Shah tells CNBC.

New disruptions overseas or other unforeseen problems could always send US inflation back up to new highs. If the European Union decides, for example, to cut off Russian oil, gas prices in the United States would likely accelerate. China’s COVID lockdowns are also worsening supply problems and hurting growth in the world’s second-biggest economy.

My question now is…did Biden make his announcement because he saw the news for political gain?

I guess it did not matter for the inflation news was worse than the media had pretended otherwise….

Stocks fell on Wall Street Wednesday, led by more drops in technology companies, after a report on inflation came in worse than feared. The S&P 500 fell 65.87 points, or 1.6%, to 3,935.18. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 326.63 points, or 1%, to 31,834.11. The Nasdaq fell 373.44 points, or 3.2%, to 11,364.24. Wednesday’s report from the US Labor Department showed inflation slowed a touch in April, down to 8.3% from 8.5% in March. Investors also found some glass-half-full signals in the data that inflation may be peaking and set to ease further. Nevertheless, the numbers were still higher than economists forecast.

They also showed a bigger increase than expected in prices outside food and gasoline, something economists call “core inflation” and which can be more predictive of future trends. Economists said the inflation report will keep the Fed on track for rapid and potentially sharp increases in interest rates in upcoming months, the AP reports. “Core inflation came in hot, and that’s what really matters to the Fed at this point,” said Brian Jacobsen, senior investment strategist at Allspring Global Investments.

Where will this American nightmare end?

I will be watching!

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“lego ergo scribo”

More Money And Even More Money

I have been ranting about the amount of money that the president and Congress has been throwing at Ukraine….especially now when there are so many Americans that are struggling to survive….but it matters not.

This is more previous post about the cash we are throwing…..

More Money….More Money….More Money

It is never enough Biden is asking for even more cash to aid Ukraine…..

President Biden asked Congress for $33 billion for the new Ukraine aid package, but congressional Democrats ramped it up to $39.8 billion. The package includes $11 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which allows President Biden to send Ukraine military equipment from US stockpiles.

The aid also includes $6 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding, which enables the US government to buy weapons from arms makers and send them to Ukraine. The Pentagon will receive $8.7 billion to replenish weapons stockpiles that have been to Ukraine, and $3.9 billion to pay for troop deployments in Eastern Europe.

In March, $13.6 billion for Ukraine aid was included in a spending bill signed by President Biden. The new $39.8 billion plan will bring total US aid for Ukraine in 2022 alone to over $53 billion. To put the enormous figure into perspective, Russia’s entire military budget for 2021 was estimated to be about $65.9 billion.

(antiwar.com)

The measure passed in a vote of 368-57, with only Republicans voting against the bill. The legislation now moves to the Senate, which could hold a vote this week.

Read more…..

https://greenwald.substack.com/p/biden-wanted-33b-more-for-ukraine

And this must been done by 19 May….according to the admin…..

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have urged Congress to pass additional funding for Ukraine aid by May 19 as President Biden is close to exhausting funds that allow him to send weapons to Kyiv.

Austin and Blinken told House and Senate leadership in a letter obtained by The Hill that the administration needs more money by May 19 “if we are to continue are [sic] security assistance at the current pace.”

As part of a $13.6 billion Ukraine aid package passed in March, $3.5 billion went towards a presidential drawdown authority, enabling Biden to send arms from US military stockpiles. Biden recently signed off on a $150 million arms package for Ukraine and has about $100 million left from the drawdown funds.

“In short, we need your help. The ability to draw upon existing DoD stocks has been a critical tool in our efforts to support the Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression, allowing us to quickly source equipment and ensure a sustained flow of security assistance to Ukraine,” Blinken and Austin wrote.

(antiwar.com)

The urgency seems to be the panic the admin is feeling for they fear the purse strings will be cut and their handlers in the industry will retaliate at election time.

I have stated many times….help Ukraine but not when the help hurts American families….but since those families do NOT have a lobbyist then their plight is of no importance.

They, Congress, should be ashamed of themselves….they turn their backs on the American people all in the name of the bribes (oh my bad….donations) they get every election.

As usual it is all about the cash not the country.

When is enough enough?

At what point do the American people start questioning the decisions of our Congress?

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“lego ergo scribo”

Will The Real Zelensky Please Stand Up

***Once again I need to state that I am by NO means in support of Vlad the Invader and his actions against Ukraine***

Most Americans are in awe of the bravery that the president of Ukraine has shown in the face of the Russian invasion….most because to the image that the MSM has presented to its daily consumer.

I am not one of those people for I think there is more that is not given to the public….what we see is only ‘spin’…….I recently tried to show the other side of the coin (so to speak)….

https://lobotero.com/2022/04/08/our-man-zelensky/
 
https://lobotero.com/2022/04/12/zelensky-part-2/
 
Believe what you are programmed to believe….but at least read this interview with a Ukrainian that knows the person…..the interview is posted on the Grey Zone site…..
A comedic actor who rose to the country’s highest office in 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was virtually unknown to the average American, except perhaps as a bit player in the Trump impeachment theater. But when Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Zelensky was suddenly transformed to an A-list celebrity in US media. American news consumers were bombarded with images of a man who appeared overcome by the tragic events, possibly in over his head, but ultimately sympathetic.  It didn’t take long for that image to evolve into the khaki-clad, tireless hero governing over a scrappy little democracy and single-handedly staving off the barbarians of autocracy from the east.
 
But beyond that carefully crafted Western media image is something much more complicated and less flattering. Zelensky was elected by 73 percent of the vote on a promise to pursue peace while the rest of his platform was vague. On the eve of the invasion, however, his approval rating had sunk to 31 percent due to the pursuit of deeply unpopular policies.
 
Ukrainian academic, Olga Baysha, has studied Zelensky’s rise to power and how he has wielded that power since becoming president. In the interview below, Baysha discusses Zelensky’s embrace of neoliberalism and increasing authoritarianism, how his actions contributed to the current war; his counterproductive and self-absorbed leadership throughout the war, the complex cultural and political views and identities of Ukrainians, the partnership between neoliberals and the radical right during and after Maidan, and whether a Russian takeover of the entire Donbass region might be less popular among the local population than it would have been in 2014.
 
There is always more to the story than the PR that corporate media gives the public and so it is with Zelensky……he may not be the savior of democracy that he is portrayed.
 
I have noticed that many do not want to hear any of this for it challenges their mindset and that would mean they would have to reassess their undying loyalty.
 
Yes I think the US is wasting needed funds on Ukraine….the same way we have done since the 1980s.
 
This country is slipping into a manure pit and our elected cowards are worried about some country half a world a way…..and the peasants cheer.
 
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I Read, I Write, You Know
 
“lego ergo scribo”

When Will The Damn Well Run Dry?

I am talking about the seemingly endless funds being funneled into Ukraine….

To answer my own question….it will apparently never run dry….no matter how many Americans will suffer from the waste of dollars.

I recently read that Biden has a plan to speed up the aid to Ukraine..

Really?

I think it is  moving damn fast without some legislation that will make it even faster to piss away taxpayer dollars….but I am a minority and the plan is moving forward….

On the day Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a restrained Victory Day speech in Moscow, President Biden signed into law an updated version of the Lend-Lease program that helped the Allies—including the Soviet Union—defeat Nazi Germany in World War II. This time, Lend-Lease will be used against Russia. “Every day Ukrainians fight for their lives,” Biden said at the signing ceremony Monday in the Oval Office, the New York Times reports. “The cost of the fight is not cheap, but caving to aggression is even more costly.”

The program will allow the US to send equipment and supplies to Ukraine more quickly to help it turn back the invasion. It gives Biden the ability to reach agreements with Ukraine and other Eastern European countries more quickly, per the Washington Post. “It’s important to note that it’s about time,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said about the plan last month. “Time is very important when lives are at stake.” Passage was a bipartisan effort; the vote in the Senate was unanimous. Biden’s request for another extra $33 billion in aid for Ukraine is pending in Congress.

It is official!

The dollars will fly out of treasury and our gutless Congress gave it wings….

President Biden on Monday signed a bill into law reviving the World War II-era lend-lease program for Ukraine, paving the way for an escalation in US military aid to Kyiv.

The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 allows Biden to send weapons to Ukraine free of charge while technically requiring payment at a later date. Under the lend-lease act during World War II, the US sent billions of dollars in weapons to the Soviet Union, China, Britain, and other allies.

The legislation received massive bipartisan support in Congress, passing by voice vote in the Senate and by a vote of 417-10 in the House, with only Republicans voting against the bill.

According to a summary of the bill, it waives “certain requirements related to the President’s authority to lend or lease defense articles if the defense articles are intended for Ukraine’s government or the governments of other Eastern European countries affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

The bill’s signing comes after President Biden asked Congress for $33 billion in new aid for Ukraine, including $20.4 billion in military assistance. He has nearly exhausted the funds for arms shipments to Kyiv from a $13.6 billion Ukraine aid package that was included in a spending bill he signed in March.

President Biden waited until Monday to sign the bill since May 9 is the day Russia marks its victory day for the Soviet defeat of the Nazis in 1945. Ironically, the Soviet Union was one of the largest beneficiaries of US military aid under the lend-lease act during World War II.

At what point is enough enough?

But those Dems have gone one further….

Congressional Democrats drafted a plan to raise President Biden’s $33 billion aid request for Ukraine to $39.8 billion, which the House could pass as soon as Tuesday.

Biden’s $33 billion request included $20.4 billion for military aid. According to Bloomberg, Congress is adding $3.4 billion in military aid and $3.4 billion in humanitarian assistance.

Democrats initially wanted to include the Ukraine aid with additional COVID-19 funding, but Biden told lawmakers to separate the two packages. “We cannot afford delay in this vital war effort. Hence, I am prepared to accept that these two measures move separately so that the Ukrainian aid bill can get to my desk right away,” he said in a statement Monday.

Giving aid to Ukraine has strong bipartisan support in Congress, but Republicans have yet to sign on to the Democrats’ plan since they are seeking a larger increase. Republicans want to add $8 billion, while the draft plan drawn up by Democrats increased the aid by about $6.8 billion.

If the $39.8 billion plan is passed, it will bring total US aid for Ukraine in 2022 alone to over $53 billion. To put the enormous figure into perspective, Russia’s entire military budget for 2021 was estimated to be about $65.9 billion.

Why can’t these spineless tools in Congress find that much compassion and bi-partisanship for the people of this country?

This BS makes me want to vomit!

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“lego ergo scribo”

What To Do About War?

From the git-go I want everyone to know that I am antiwar…..after seeing the obscenities of war up close and personally I have been against such exercises since 1968…..I can safely state that my opposition has never wavered.

There are times that I feel that I may need to apologize for my stands and writings….but then I check such feelings for most people that try to explain away conflict like Ukraine have never been confronted with the horrors and the fear that only war can present.

Deep down we are all anti-war….

Everyone’s anti-war until the war propaganda starts. Nobody thinks of themselves as a warmonger, but then the spin machine gets going and before you know it they’re spouting the slogans they’ve been programmed to spout and waving the flags the flags they’ve been programmed to wave and consenting to whatever the imperial war machine wants in that moment.

Virtually everyone will tell you they love peace and hate war when asked; war is the very worst thing in the world, and no healthy person relishes the thought of it. But when the rubber meets the road and it’s time to oppose war and push for peace, those who’d previously proclaimed themselves “anti-war” are on the other side screaming for more weapons to be poured into a proxy war that their government deliberately provoked.

This is because the theory of being anti-war is very different from the practice. In theory people are just opposed to the idea of exploding other people for no good reason. In practice they’re always hit with a very intense barrage of media messaging giving them what look like very good reasons why those people need exploding.

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/04/27/everyones-anti-war-until-the-war-propaganda-starts/

That reminds of a line in some movie when a general said “an unused weapon is a useless weapon”….

The antiwar movement, the anti-imperialist movement of America, has nothing to apologize for and obediently doing so now is tantamount to facilitating our own systematic demonization, silencing, and persecution.

There were notable analysts in the independent media, antiwar orbit who called this correctly, predicting a Russian attack, leaving the door wide open to an invasion as a major possibility. Those who apparently assumed American policymakers would choose diplomacy and not ultimately risk the deaths and displacement of millions of Ukrainians and Russians, a possible global economic meltdown, catastrophic destabilization in Europe, or all out brinksmanship between the two greatest nuclear superpowers were unfortunately mistaken.

However, the U.S. antiwar scene has always opposed America’s hostile post-Soviet Union policy of coups, color revolutions, NATO’s eastward expansion menacing the Bear, ringing Russia’s borders and coasts with NATO troops, bases, missiles, tanks, bombers, and warships.

The reason for this is not simply because these policies are plainly unnecessary for American security, abhorrently costly, polluting, and aggressive. These new Cold War policies are condemned rightly because they inevitably lead to war, or more likely nuclear war.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/dont-apologize-the-antiwar-movement-was-right/

For those that deplore the conflict because of whatever reasons….there is something that we can do and should press all belligerents to observe (instead of sending aid that only prolongs the conflict)…

  • De-escalate the concept of enemy. An enemy can be reframed, in progressive order, as an adversary, competitor, partner, teacher, and finally your equal.

  • Treat the other side with respect. Otherwise you lose them before you start.

  • Recognize that there is the perception of injustice on both sides. This is a point of agreement adversaries can join in.

  • Be prepared to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Here forgiveness means letting go of your desire for retribution and revenge. This is an act of true courage. Even if you believe that the other side doesn’t deserve forgiveness, you deserve peace.

  • Refrain from belligerence. It will be taken as bullying and arouses renewed antagonism.

  • Use emotional intelligence, which means understanding the other side’s feelings, giving them value, and making them equal to your feelings.

  • Reach out to understand the other side’s values, both personal and cultural. The fog of war descends when two adversaries know nothing about one another. The result is a war based on projections and prejudice. The goal is mutual acceptance. At the deepest level we all want the same things.

  • Refrain from ideological rhetoric over politics and religion.

  • Recognize that there is fear on both sides. Don’t be afraid to express your anxieties and to ask the other side what they are afraid of.

  • Do not insist on being right and proving the other side wrong. Give up the need to be right allows you to focus on what you actually want.

(choprfafoundation.org)

There are ways to address war (for those that cannot see the necessity)…..War can be devastating, and it can wreak havoc on entire societies for decades and generations. And sometimes, no good even comes out of the long years of fighting and staggering national losses. Many people oppose war, but don’t know how to take action to stop it. There are a variety of things you can do to take a stand against war.

https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Action-to-Stop-War

You can make a difference…..but only if you try….time for the American people to stop being an observer and take damn action.

There are antiwar people in both parties…..they should put aside squabbles and work together….after all they have no problem finding cooperation when they throw money at the wars around us.

Why cannot they just be friends…..at least for awhile…..

Many within the commentariat are confused by this perplexing alliance. Some have slandered this relationship as a tenuous “Red-Brown coalition.” Such characterization is an unfortunate (if not an intentional) mischaracterization of this budding partnership. Left-wing opponents to the foreign policy status quo are not communists. Nor are the ranks of the right overpopulated with Nazis. Instead, the two wings of dissent are the inheritors of distinct but often overlapping strains of foreign policy opposition. Both traditions are firmly rooted in the American experience; neither are alien imports of a totalitarian ideology.

The reemergence of both strains signals a return to an earlier norm where opposition to U.S. foreign policy was not a definitive litmus test for a party or ideological affiliation. Understanding this history and how they came to be consumed by partisan politics should reassure those who desire a change in how the U.S. government conducts itself abroad.

Why Can’t We Be Friends? The History of and Prospects for Left and Right Antiwar Collaboration

Plus the antiwar movement needs to become more international than it is today…..

A ceasefire between the warring parties, a Russian withdrawal, a halt to arms shipments, a negotiated peace and an end to NATO. This is what the international left should be organizing around in regards to the Russia-Ukraine war. It shouldn’t be calling for stepped up arms shipments to Ukraine’s military or defending Moscow’s invasion. When all is said and done and this war is stopped, the most likely situation for the vast majority of Ukrainian working people will be one where their greatest enemy could well be the Ukrainian government. Likewise, if the war goes on long enough, the greatest enemy of the vast majority of Russian working people could well be their government. The oligarchs in both nations will still be oligarchs, while the Russian and Ukrainian people will bear the costs—human, financial, and otherwise—for the war.

If the reader thinks the current conflict will somehow end with a different outcome, they need to revisit the history of war, especially war of the modern kind. You know, where civilian populations are bombed, conscripts are forced to kill and die in the thousands; where international bankers make loans to all sides until the battle begins. All the while generals and politicians talk nonsense about the principles being defended as if most of them had any principles that couldn’t be purchased.

We Need an International Antiwar Movement, Not a Cheerleading Squad for the Arms Industry

As I have stated many times I will not apologize for my antiwar stand….mine came from experience not not some fad that is popular

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“lego ergo scribo”

Ukraine–Day 74

“Only the winners decide what were war crimes.” Garry Wills

“Nothing can justify war.” Isaac Rosenberg

“In our Country… one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.” William Tecumseh Sherman

Would Monday (May 9) see a general mobilization announced by Putin on Victory Day? An escalation of the war by Russia could give the Russian forces momentum in the Ukraine War in future months, but the risks would be enormous. A mobilization would be admitting that the ‘special military operation’ has not gone well and could ignite domestic opposition. (The Washington Post, May 7, 2022, suscription). The annual spring conscription for the Russian armed forces is now being conducted. (Aljazeera, May 5, 2022). Some visitors went to Ukraine over the weekend – to include Premier Trudeau from Canada (Kiyv area) and First Lady Jill Biden (western Ukraine).

Russian Generals – Getting Killed on the Battlefield. Senior Russian commanders are visiting the frontlines in an attempt to fix the difficulties in command and control and to take personal leadership of operations. This has led to high losses of general officers in the conflict. (UK Ministry of Defence, Twitter, 8 May 2022). Read more in “Why Russia has Suffered the Loss of an ‘Extraordinary’ Number of Generals”, Lobo Institute, May 8, 2022. See also a report on news that the United States is passing intelligence to Ukraine that helps it target Russian senior commanders. “Officials Push Back on Report US Intel Helping Ukraine Target Russian Generals”, Lobo Institute, May 8, 2022.

Ground Situation. The Russian advances in eastern Ukraine over the past few days have been minimal. They have lost territory in the Kharkiv region due to Ukrainian counterattacks.

Fight for the Skies. The Russians are paying more attention to Ukrainian airfields in recent days. By hitting the airstrips with long-range rockets the Russians hope to destroy Ukrainian aerial capacity and establish air superiority. The air space remains contested and the Ukrainians are still very effective with their air defense capabilities. The Russians also have some significant air defense coverage over Ukraine; especially in the east. Most air strikes by the Russians are conducted in the Joint Forces Operations Area or JFO – basically the Donbas region. Mariupol also is a location where there are a lot of Russian air strikes.

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. According to Ukrainian officials, Turkish-supplied TB2 drones have destroyed two Russian patrol craft in the Black Sea. (The War Zone, May 2, 2022). Ukraine has struck Snake Island in the Black Sea with Su-27 Flankers, hitting multiple targets. (The War Zone, May 7, 2022). There are unconfirmed reports that the Ukrainians have hit and damaged a Russian frigate in the Black Sea.

The Russian blockade of Ukrainian shipping continues. Chuck de Caro argues that the delivery of US Navy Mark-VI’s could make a difference in the Black Sea. Read “Ukraine: Think Naval War“, Small Wars Journal, April 29, 2022. Sources of info on the Russian navy: Russian Navy – News and Analysis. A weekly analysis with graphics.

What is Victory? Public support in the United States and allied countries is critical to the outcome on the battlefield. The war is heading into a protracted fight – and the need to manage allied cooperation unity and public opinion in the U.S. and other allied countries will become a priority. A big question remains – what is victory? “As war grinds on, the definition of victory remains murky”, The Washington Post, May 7, 2022. (subscription)

Azov Battalion. The unit is made up of like-minded volunteers with a mission to protect the Donbas region from the Russian invaders. “Ukraine: What is the Azov Battalion?”, Forces.net, May 5, 2022.

Ukrainian SOF and Their ATV Tank Hunters. Ukrainian special operations forces are using a specially outfitted ATV to attack Russian tanks. It is mounted with a Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile. This is a Ukrainian produced ATGM that can pierce through armored targets. It is estimated that the ATV and missile costs about $32,000 each unit. “Ukrainian Special Forces Have “Stug-Buggies” Out Hunting Russian Tanks”, SOFREP, May 5, 2022.

Intelligence Sharing. The Department of Defense has acknowledged that they have been sharing intelligence with the Ukrainians. Recent news reports say that intel passed to the Ukrainians have helped in the targeting of Russian generals (lots of them have died thus far) and Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea. Queried during press conferences on these reports, DoD spokesman John Kirby has said he would rather not get into the details.

M777 Howitzer Training. As of Friday (May 6) over 220 Ukrainian soldiers have received training on guns recently provided to Ukraine. In addition, there are about another 150 currently in training for the M777 Howitzer. (Wikipedia) The vast majority of the M777s are in Ukraine now; a number which will soon total 90.

Phoenix Ghost Training. A newly developed drone will soon be in Ukraine. About 20 Ukrainian soldiers are currently undergoing training on the UAS system.

Kyiv. The U.S. embassy staff and U.S. Charge d’Affaires Kristina Kvien arrived in Kyiv on Sunday (May 8).

Kharkiv. The Ukrainian’s counteroffensive in the area around Kharkiv is having some success. They are retaking territory as they move outwards from the city’s limits. The Ukrainian forces may soon approach the Russian border.

Mariupol. According to numerous news accounts all women and children have been rescued from the besieged city of Mariupol located on the coast of the Sea of Azov. They were evacuated from a steel plant on Saturday (May 7) where the last of the Ukrainian defenders are gathered. Elderly civilian men were part of the evacuation. The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross negotiated the civilian evacuations from the steel plant. The Russians conducted another assault on the Ukrainian positions on Saturday (May 7). “All women and children rescued from besieged Mariupol steel plant”, Washington Examiner, May 7, 2022.

There is an attempt to negotiate the evacuation of the remaining Ukrainians at the Azovstal steel plant – including combatants, wounded soldiers, and medics. This is being referred to as the second phase of the evacuation. The commander of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade has made an appeal to the international community for the evacuation of the remaining soldiers from Mariupol.

Mykolayiv and Odessa. One big question is whether or not the Russians will try to move west towards Odesa and perhaps to the Moldova border. Both cities continue to experience missile attacks. 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.

Situation Maps.  War in Ukraine by Scribble Maps. View more Ukraine SITMAPs that provide updates on the disposition of Russian forces.

Negotiations. More prisoner exchanges have taken place over the weekend. Ukraine has received a mix of military and civilians who had been captured or detained by Russia.

Refugees, IDPs, and Humanitarian Crisis. View the UNHCR Operational Data Portal – Ukraine Refugee Situation (Updated daily), https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine.

Future Scenarios. There are a number of scenarios that could play out on May 9th. Putin could announce victory in Ukraine, state that Russia has achieved its primary objectives – liberation of additional areas of Donbas, a ‘land bridge’ from Russia to Crimea along the coast of the Sea of Azov, and control of the southern end of the Dnieper River allowing Crimea to once again enjoy the flow of fresh water to the peninsular. On the other hand, Putin could announce a general mobilization with the aim to continue the attack on Ukraine in the future – securing more of the Donbas region and extending its control of southern Ukraine by pushing towards Odesa and Moldova, denying Ukraine of any coastline and seaports. Some commentators think Putin may declare war on Ukraine, upgrading the conflict from a ‘special military operation’ to that of war.

Funding for Ukraine. As of late April 2022, the Biden administration had submitted to Congress two emergency supplemental requests to address the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There is relatively broad congressional support for further emergency supplemental funding for Ukraine – but the proposal from the Biden administration has become more complicated due to the inclusion of other funding request not related to Ukraine. For instance, the request includes money for the Afghanistan Adjustment Act (AAA), which many lawmakers are still trying to sort out. In addition, the Democrats want to add $10 billion in funding for Covid vaccines and treatment. The Democrats see an opportunity to spend money on non-Ukraine related issues due to the Republican support for Ukraine. The Republicans prefer to have a ‘clean bill’ that will pass quickly and not delay needed assistance for Ukraine. Read more in a report by the Congressional Research Service entitled Supplemental Funding for Ukraine, CRS IN11877, May 2, 2022, PDF, 4 pages.

Sanctions on Ukraine. The Russian economy is worse off across a range of metrics since Putin ordered the invasion of his neighboring country. Russia’s economy will likely contract by almost 9% in 2022 and inflation will probably get as high as 24%. Unemployment will also increase. There will also be some significant impacts on the global economy. Read more Russia’s War on Ukraine: The Economic Impact of Sanctions, Congressional Research Service, CRS IF12092, May 3, 2022, PDF, 4 pages.

More U.S. Actions. The Department of State released a Fact Sheet detailing a series of actions to promote individual accountability for human rights abuses by the Russian Federation. It has instituted a new visa restriction policy and actions against Russia’s maritime fleet. (DoS, May 8, 2022).

Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act. On March 15th new legislation was signed into law that allowed for U.S. stocks to be replenished – making up equipment shortfalls due to equipment being sent to Ukraine. Last week about $1.45 billion was transferred to the Army and the Marines to procure replenishment stocks of Stingers, Javelins, and other key material. Another $5.4 billion is requested in the Ukraine Supplemental currently being considered by Congress. Communications gear, totaling $61.4 million, has been sent to Ukraine.

Switchblades. About 100 small attack drones were delivered to Ukraine. More are on the way. There are plans to deliver a total of 700 Switchblades. According to Pentagon sources, there is $17.8 million allocated to Switchblades for Ukraine in the Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act.

$150 Million More. The U.S. Department of State released a press statement saying that more money will be used to provide military assistance to Ukraine. The equipment will come from U.S. military equipment stocks (referred to a ‘drawdown’). This is the ninth drawdown of U.S. stocks to provide assistance to Ukraine. (DoS, May 6, 2022). According to a DoD statement it includes 155mm artillery rounds, radars, and electronic jamming equipment. (DoS, May 6, 2022).

Russia Hypes Polish Invasion of Ukraine. Russian state media and pro-Russian social media channels have spent some time the last few weeks asserting that Poland, along with NATO allies, may invade western Ukraine in an attempt to seize and annex western regions of Ukraine. This would be under the guise of ‘peacekeeping’ or ‘humanitarian action’. “Explainer: The Kremlin’s ‘Polish Invasion’ Narrative”, Centre for Information Resilience, May 6, 2022.

Russia’s Victory Day – May 9th. In Russia, a celebration of the Russian victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War takes place every year in early May. A big event in Moscow to commemorate the day is a military parade. Many observers once noted that President Putin would take this occasion to announce victory in Ukraine as well. He will likely point to the liberation of ‘oppressed Russians’ in the Ukrainian Donbas. “What is Russia’s Victory Day and could it affect the war in Ukraine?”, Forces.net, May 6, 2022.

Russian Nukes Against Ukraine? Julian Spencer-Churchill examines four scenarios of tactical nuclear weapons use by Russia. “Four Important Thresholds of Russian Nuclear Weapons Use in Ukraine”, Real Clear Defense, May 9, 2022.

Ukrainian Welcome Mat, but the Afghans? Many human rights advocates hail the administration’s response to the exodus triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But others feel deeply frustrated that those left behind in Afghanistan have not received equal treatment. “Biden welcomes Ukrainian refugees, neglects Afghans, critics say”, The Washington Post, April 28, 2022. (subscription)

Compiling these reports is a time consuming process and the news is sparse these days….that is why it is so many days in- between

I will continue to write these posts as long as the info is there to make it possible.

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Two Levels Of The Ukraine War

Like all war there is more to them than the one sided manure that the media spreads……Ukraine is no different….there at least two levels to this conflict.

If you get your opinion from the MSM then you know that Russia invaded Ukraine….Ukraine is heroically fighting back….and refugees are fleeing and suffering…..and that is about it.  In other words Ukraine–good….Russia–bad.

Back in 2019 I tried to explain what was happening in Ukraine….

Ukraine For Dummies

But there is more going on than the small amount of information that corporate news is willing to share…..

It has become increasingly clear to the world that there is not one, but two, actually three, distinct levels of conflict embedded in what the world’s media and political leadership deceptively insist of calling the ‘Ukraine War.’ The first level was clearly initiated on February 24, 2022 when Russia launched an aggressive war against Ukraine imperiling its sovereign rights and territorial integrity. The second level was difficult to discern in the first weeks of the war, but became soon evident as the NATO countries led by the United States placed an increasing emphasis on lending escalating support to Ukraine’s adopted goals of achieving an unexpected military victory. This support took various forms including the steady supply of heavy weaponry, robust economic assistance, punitive sanctions, and a drumbeat of ‘official’ demonization of Russia and its leadership. In the beginning it seemed appropriate to lend support to Ukraine as the target of aggression, and hail the resistance effort led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, in defense of a relatively small country being overrun by its large neighbor.

Even this widely endorsed narrative was deceptive and one-sided as it overlooked the provocative nature of NATO expansion, abetted in Ukraine’s case by American interference in the internal politics of the country to help turn the political tide in the country against Russia. It is in this internal setting that the third level of the war persists as there is no doubt that anti-Russian elements in Western Ukraine were deeply abusive toward the majority Russian speaking population in Eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas region. The non-implementation of the Minsk Agreements negotiated in 2014-15 to protect the Ukrainians in the East was never properly implemented. It remains uncertain as whether the Russia/Ukraine level of combat can be resolved without serious addressing Russian and Donbas concerns at the core of this third level of conflict.

The Second Level Geopolitical War in Ukraine Takes Over

Because the media has not given all the information about this conflict there are reasons why we all should be concerned…..

The New York Times reported on May 1 that “the Biden administration” – the same one that ignored Putin’s warnings about Russia’s red line regarding NATO expansion to Ukraine – “increasingly casts aside fears expressed by some early in the war that too much American assistance to Ukraine risked a direct conflict with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.”

As direct assistance to Ukraine by the US, UK and its other allies intensifies dramatically, there are several reasons to be increasingly concerned.

The Long War

The US signaled early that this war was not to be a fast war to defend Ukraine from the Russian invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly declared that this war over “core principles” is “bigger than Ukraine.”

Since then, several signs have pointed to an evolving policy of dragging diplomacy to allow for a long war. Blinken has announced that the war could last for the rest of this year. National security adviser Jake Sullivan used the formulation “for months or even longer.” More dramatically still, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley “measured [it] in years.” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on April 28 that “NATO allies are preparing to provide support over a long period of time.” And, as if on script, on the same day, President Biden asked Congress “for $33 billion to bolster Ukraine’s fight against Russia, signaling a burgeoning and long-haul American commitment.”

Five Reasons To Be Increasingly Worried About the War in Ukraine

I am concerned.

Since my days in Vietnam I have watched the US jump from one conflict to another and the last ones have lasted for 20 years…think about that while you eat your corn flakes.

This country is spiraling into another war…..possibly another long one….and most Americans are basically cheer leading into more death and destruction.

Even Progressives are signing onto the war scenario….

One might be forgiven for wondering if such legislation is really necessary today; after all, according to numbers released by the State Department, the US has provided more than $6.4 billion in “security assistance” to Ukraine since 2014. And last week President Joe Biden put forward a request for another $20.4 billion in “additional security and military assistance” as part of a $33 billion aid package to Ukraine.

So what was the actual point of reviving Lend Lease? Well, it was in part, as is the case with many things that happen on Capitol Hill, performative: a way to signal to US arms manufacturers that constitute much of the political donor class that the money spigot will remain wide open for the foreseeable future.

American progressives join the War Party 

Time for Americans to stand up with the small minority of antiwar supporters and call for an end of this waste.

But will they?

Probably NOT!

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