Month: May 2023

Is Debt Ceiling Constitutional?

Now there is an excellent question.

For the last month we have had the back and forth with the looming governmental shutdown. Some have even asked if all this drama is truly necessary?

So to answer the question I went to Vox for their take on the whole enchilada….

The United States has a time bomb written into federal law, and no one knows whether it is constitutional or not.

As anyone who has paid attention to the last dozen years of fighting over the federal budget knows, Congress must periodically raise the nation’s debt ceiling, the amount of money that the US Treasury is allowed to borrow, because the US spends more than it takes in. If the debt ceiling is raised or repealed on schedule, nothing happens. The Treasury will continue to pay for all federal expenses Congress has ordered it to pay, and it will continue to borrow money to pay for these obligations when necessary.

…

This completely unnecessary threat to the US economy arises from the odd way Congress manages the federal budget. As a general rule, Congress enacts one set of laws that govern taxation and revenue; these laws determine how much money the United States brings in every year. It enacts another set of laws, known as appropriations, that determine how much money the United States will spend every year. If appropriations exceed revenue, then the United States will run a budget deficit and will need to borrow money to cover the gap.

But, rather than automatically authorizing the Treasury to borrow however much money is necessary to cover this deficit, Congress also enacted a third law — the debt ceiling — that prohibits Treasury from borrowing more than a set amount of funds. Once this limit is hit, the country is unable to pay its bills unless Congress raises the debt ceiling. And that will cause the United States to default on at least some of its financial obligations, triggering the same spiral of reduced creditworthiness that faces consumers who refuse to pay their credit card bills.

https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/11/23712477/supreme-court-debt-ceiling-fourteenth-amendment-unconstitutional-kevin-mccarthy-joe-biden

With all the info then you decide if it is constitutional for yourself.

My thoughts here are…..with some time the US could make this less a problem by enacting two simple things…..1–corporations should be paying their way in this society through taxation….2–rein in the military adventurism world wide.

This will not immediately fix the debt problem but it would be a good road to find that solution all seem to be looking for with all this dramatics from Congress.

Just me thinking out loud.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Putin Has A Plan

Let me say at the onset this story sounds a bit hinkey to me.

It appears some think that Putin is use ‘waves of kids’ thrown at the Ukraine military…..which made me think of the news in the 1980s with the Iraq-Iran War when Iran used kids armed with the Koran to walk in front of their troops looking for mines….Iran lost a whole generation of males because of this stupidity.

Putin’s Plan?

Former senior army officials accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of deploying waves of untrained kids to the front lines in an effort to outmatch the West.

British generals have weighed in on the ongoing war in Ukraine, drawing parallels to the style of warfare seen in the battles of Verdun and the Somme during World War I. Speaking to the Sun Online, they accused the Russian leader of relying on sheer numbers to overpower the well-trained and better-armed Ukrainian forces.

The British veterans further asserted that Putin’s primary strategy was to prolong the war, leveraging manpower as their only significant resource, with the hope that Western nations would eventually lose interest, thus facilitating a forced settlement.

General Sir Richard Shirreff claimed that Russia was deploying troops in successive waves, while General Sir Richard Barrons agreed, stating that these waves were deliberately sent to be decimated by Ukrainian fire.

The generals also expressed their suspicion that Putin’s approach aimed to demonstrate a greater level of resilience compared to Ukraine and its allies.

In support of their claims, Ukraine has reported over 200,000 killed enemy soldiers to date. If these figures hold true, it would mean that the Russian Army has suffered casualties at a rate of one soldier every three minutes since Putin initiated his “Special Military Operation” in February of last year, per The Sun.

While the veteran generals appeared skeptical of the exact figure, they do acknowledge that Russia has incurred significant losses in its attempts to seize control of Ukraine.

“What the Russians have consistently demonstrated is their lack of concern for their own people and the number of casualties,” stated General Shirreff.

He further added, “Putin believes that the Ukrainian people will eventually lose their will to fight, and the West will perceive it as a stalemate, ultimately forcing a settlement.”

(knewz.com)

Maybe my UK visitors have more info on this story….if they would like to update us we will be appreciative.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Kim Has A New Toy

Lil Kim has his share of toys, war toys, from rockets, missiles, nukes and now a eye in the sky.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un examined a finished military spy satellite, which his country is expected to launch soon, during a visit to his country’s aerospace agency, where he described space-based reconnaissance as crucial for countering the US and South Korea. As the AP reports, Kim during Tuesday’s visit approved an unspecified “future action plan” in preparations for launching the satellite, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday. North Korea hasn’t disclosed a target date for the launch, which some analysts say may be in the next few weeks. That launch would use long-range missile technology banned by past UN Security Council resolutions, although previous missile and rocket tests have demonstrated North Korea’s ability to deliver a satellite into space.

There are more questions, however, about the satellite’s capability. Some South Korean analysts say the satellite shown in North Korean state media photos appears too small and crudely designed to support high-resolution imagery. Photos that North Korean media released from past missile launches were low resolution. Photos released by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper of Tuesday’s visit showed Kim and his daughter—dressed in white lab coats—talking with scientists near an object that looked like the main component of a satellite. The newspaper didn’t identify the object, which was surrounded by a perimeter of red tape. The visit was Kim’s first public appearance in about a month, following a previous visit to the aerospace center on April 18.

Kim said acquiring a spy satellite would be crucial for his efforts to bolster the country’s defense as “US imperialists and [South] Korean puppet villains escalate their confrontational moves” against the North, the KCNA said. He was apparently referring to the expansion of joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea and the allies’ discussions on strengthening their nuclear deterrence strategies to cope with threats from North Korea, which has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022. The next step in North Korea’s launch preparations, or the “future action plan” state media mentioned, could be installing the satellite on what would likely be a three-stage space rocket, said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies.

The launch could be conducted as early as mid-June, although Pyongyang might also time the event to major state anniversaries that fall in July, September, or October, the professor said. Spy satellites are among a slew of advanced weapons systems Kim Jong Un has vowed to develop. Others on his wish list include solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines, hypersonic missiles, and multiwarhead missiles. North Korea has tested some of those weapons in recent months, including its first test flight of a solid-fuel ICBM last month, but experts say the North may need more time and technological breakthroughs to make those systems functional. In response to North Korea’s military spy satellite, Japan’s military last month ordered troops to activate missile interceptors and get ready to shoot down fragments from the satellite that may fall on the Japanese territory.

Kim keeps expanding his capabilities and eventually the US will have to come to terms with that….but right now China is the mind filling stuff the Pentagon has to deal with….for now.

How far will this go?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Trolls Under The Cyber Bridge

Recently my friend John wrote a piece about his experience with a cyber troll….instead of trying to explain his experience I had rather have you read his thoughts for yourself……

https://limingslynkz8.blog/2023/05/12/more-blog-changes-may-be-coming/

His experience got me to thinking about trolls and those people that come to comment on my blog and others….

First of all we need to ask…..what is a troll?

An internet troll, or online bully, deliberately tries to offend, cause trouble or directly attack people by posting derogatory comments on Facebook posts, blogs, under YouTube videos, on forums and other social media, such as Twitter and Instagram. Not every argument can be considered as trolling; a difference of opinion can lead to healthy discussion which can be invaluable on forums.

So when does acceptable banter turn into trolling? The Oxford Dictionary describes trolling as making “a deliberately offensive or provocative online posting with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them”. There are many different types of troll, such as:

The insult troll, who posts pure hateful comments just for the sake of it. They don’t need to know the person or have a reason for posting spiteful comments.

The forever offended trolls are experts in taking a humorous piece of content and turning it into something sour and offensive.

The show off troll doesn’t particularly like to take part in discussions, but prefers to share their opinion without having any particular knowledge of the subject being discussed.

The “look at me” troll isn’t interested in anything you have to say – they’re on a mission to get you to look at their page, buy something from them, download their content or follow them.

For me it is those ‘snipers’….the people that have only one opinion and interject it into whatever the post is about…..or those that have to read the title of posts and fly off into some rant that has little to do with the subject matter of the posts.

Personally, I give everyone a chance to read and comment…..and if they veer off I try to bring them back to the subject….if that does not work then I remove them.

I try to give anyone reading a chance to read the information I am writing about for I think we all should be working from the same page….whether we agree or not…..the problem is few read the included information but go off on some random BS and that is also a troll in my book.

Then there are those trolls that insult people who have commented….that is intolerable for here everyone’s opinion is valid whether we agree or disagree.

I try to keep IST civil….but there are times it is very difficult.

I hope this has been a bit helpful…..just keep on keeping on….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Send In The Calvary

Florida’s mini dictator, DeSantis, has been waging war in his state…war on bathrooms, education, rights, voters, Disney and now he is exporting his ‘jack boots’ to the border.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s sending a formidable force, including planes, boats, drones, and more than 1,100 personnel, to help “defend” the border with Mexico. The Republican, who is expected to announce a White House bid within weeks, said the deployment will include 800 members of the Florida National Guard, 200 agents from the state Department of Law Enforcement, 101 state highway patrol troopers, and 20 agents from other state agencies, NBC reports. DeSantis sent around 100 law enforcement officers to the border in a similar move in 2021.

DeSantis said the personnel are being sent to the border for 30 days but extensions are possible. He cited the end of COVID-era Title 42 restrictions at the border, though the change last week was not immediately followed by the expected surge in migrants. “While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis,” he said, per the Hill. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he had asked governors to help the state with its “unprecedented border security efforts.” He said DeSantis and Idaho Gov. Brad Little had already offered resources.

“Given the crisis at the border, we decided to send in the cavalry,” said Taryn Fenske, the governor’s communications director. Some of the governor’s critics called the move a “political stunt,” the Miami Herald reports. “What an irresponsible waste of critical state resources by DeSantis for his own performative national politics,” tweeted former GOP Rep. David Jolly.

The problem they are trying to ‘solve’ may be a moot point….for after the crush of immigrants to the border with the end of 42 the amount of immigrants has fallen by 50%.

Here is a thought maybe Texas should spend more time with the border policies and less time fighting individual rights and education and all the other diversions.

But the GOP needs immigrants for it is a rallying point for all the hatred and  is doing nothing to move Texas into the 21st century.

Any thoughts on DeSantis’ new move on exporting his ‘troops’?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Yet Another Peace Plan

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has seen several peace proposals from countries around the globe….from Brazil, China, Turkey, et al and now a new proposal will be presented to both sides….this time African nations will do the presenting.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to host a delegation of African leaders to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict in Ukraine.

“My discussions with the two leaders demonstrated that they are both ready to receive the African leaders and to have discussion on how this conflict can be brought to an end,” Ramaphosa said, according to DW. “Whether that will succeed or not is going to depend on the discussions that will be held.”

On top of Ramaphosa, the leaders of Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, and Zambia also support the plan. Ramaphosa did not give a timeline on when the visits to Moscow and Kyiv might happen.

The news of the African-led peace push comes as China has dispatched a senior envoy to visit Ukraine, Russia, and other countries in the region in an effort to foster dialogue. Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, was expected to arrive in Ukraine on Tuesday.

The US has not been happy with South Africa’s neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and recently accused Pretoria of aiding Russia. The US ambassador to South Africa claimed without evidence that a Russian ship that recently docked in the country was loaded with arms.

According to Ramaphosa, the US and Britain have expressed “cautious” support for the African-led peace push. The New York Times reported last week that US officials are “wary of any calls for an immediate ceasefire or peace talks.”

(antiwar.com)

The plan is supported by the leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

Specifics are slim at this draft….but I will be watching and writing as soon as more info is available.

Somewhere sanity must prevail and a plan be formulated that will end the carnage in Ukraine.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

DeSantis War On Education

The mini dictator of Florida has been attacking education at every turn….and his newest attack goes a bit far….well most of the attacks go too far in my opinion….

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continued his campaign on Monday against what he views as “woke” ideology in the education system. The governor and presumptive 2024 presidential candidate signed into law a measure that prohibits the state’s public colleges and universities from spending money on what are known as DEI initiatives, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, reports the Washington Post. “DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination,” said DeSantis Monday at New College of Florida in Sarasota.

He also banned courses that, in the law’s language, “distort significant historical events,” teach “identity politics,” or are “based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, or economic inequities,” per the Orlando Sentinel. Under the legislation, Florida colleges will have to review courses and majors offered to students and ditch ones that cover what DeSantis deems “niche” areas such as critical race theory. “Florida is getting out of that game,” DeSantis said. “If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to Berkeley—go to some of these other places.” Some opposing views rounded up in coverage:

  • “The government has no role in banning or censoring subject matter in higher education,” says Andrew Gothard, head of United Faculty Florida, which represents faculty members across the state.
  • “It’s basically state-mandated censorship, which has no place in a democracy,” says Irene Mulvey, president of the American Association of University Professors.
  • “Indoctrination drives the DeSantis agenda not because he is worried educators are indoctrinating students, but because they aren’t indoctrinating them with HIS ideology,” says Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones.

Florida is not alone in this war on education…..almost every Red State has some form of attacks….all of which are a march toward authoritarianism.

There are no commanding visions of public education at work in the United States. These are dark times for education, teachers, librarians, Black youth, trans people, young people and the empowering principles of academic freedom, critical thinking, civic courage, and a shared notion of citizenship. Since the 1950s, and especially since the 1980s with the election of Ronald Reagan as President, there has been an intense struggle both to privatize public schooling and to corporatize higher education.[1] In its updated and expanded version, the current far right extremists in the Republican Party are waging a naked attack “on the very existence of public education.”[2] In the first half of the 20th century, the established conservative common sense operated off the assumption that the central purpose of education was to prepare students at different levels for their station in the workplace or in the larger global corporate order. A growing far right version of the conservative movement increasingly argued that the idea of schooling as a public and common good was anathema. Schools were now disparaged as government schools or even worse, “socialist training camps.”[3]According to these assassins of public education, schools had become a byproduct of a government that used them to enforce a poisonous notion citizenship defined through the values of equity, freedom, justice, and equality.[4]

Public Education as a Domestic Machinery of Indoctrination and Disposability in the Age of Fascist Politics

These attacks are doing nothing to make this a better country.

If anything it is dumbing down our children which makes for more pliable adults….so far it is working like a clock.

We need to be vigilant or we will lose everything we have worked for in the past.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Will There Be A Nuclear Incident In Ukraine?

There are many that think Putin will be pressed into using some form of nuclear device in Ukraine….and then possibly onto the rest of the world.

Is that fear universal?

What does the average Russian think?

The results of survey was published in “New Voice Of Ukraine”

The survey says that 9% of Russians, asked whether the Russian leadership is ready to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine, said “definitely yes,” and 20% said “rather yes,”, while 32% said “rather no,” 28% said “definitely no,” and 12% “hesitated to answer.”

In addition, 29% of respondents believe that the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia against Ukraine is justified, while 56% said the use of this type of weapon could not be justified.

On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Earlier, Director of National Intelligence in the Biden administration, Avril Haines, reported that Russia is unlikely to launch a nuclear strike, according to the White House.

Now is this a propaganda piece or a true survey that Ukraine somehow got their hands on to use for news and support?

I found lots of opinion piece on the possibility of the use of nukes but nothing along the lines of this ‘survey’….for now I am skeptical that this is an accurate depiction of the Russian people and their thoughts on the possibility of the use nukes in Ukraine.

On another thought….did Russia ever move nukes into their ally, Belarus?

I personally do not think Putin will use nukes….but that could change if and when Putin becomes desperate.

But just in case here are 3 scenarios that could answer that question…..as published in Politico….

Scenario 1: Remote atmospheric test

Least provocative would be Putin’s resumption of above-ground nuclear testing — by detonating a low-yield nuclear warhead high above Novaya Zemlya, the old Soviet test site in the Arctic, for example. While both the actual damage on the ground and radioactive fallout would be negligible, the psychological effect could be enormous: It would be the first nuclear explosion by a superpower since nuclear testing ended in 1992, and the first bomb detonated in the atmosphere by either the U.S. or Russia after such tests were outlawed by treaty in 1963. It would also be a potent reminder that Putin has tactical nuclear weapons in abundance — about 2,000 by last count — and is prepared to use them.

Scenario 2: Atmospheric detonation above Ukraine

A more provocative demonstration would be an ultra-high-altitude explosion of a more powerful weapon over Ukraine itself. In a 1962 test, the U.S. detonated a 1.4-megaton H-bomb in the mid-Pacific, 250 miles above the Earth. The resulting electromagnetic pulse unexpectedly knocked out streetlights and disrupted telephone service in Hawaii, 900 miles distant. A similarly powerful explosion above Kyiv would not only be visually spectacular but would likely plunge the capital into prolonged darkness and silence by shorting out computers, cellphones and other electronics. EMP effects might also extend into NATO member countries. But the extent of damage from the pulse is unpredictable, and Russian communications could also be affected.

Scenario 3: Ground explosion in Ukraine

Most dangerous — and, for that reason, perhaps least likely — would be using a tactical nuclear weapon to achieve a concrete military objective such as disrupting the delivery of weapons to Ukrainians fighting in a city like Mariupol. Alternatively, Putin might detonate a tactical nuclear warhead against military or logistics targets in sparsely populated western Ukraine — in the agricultural lands between Lviv and Kyiv, for instance — after warning people in the target area to evacuate. But even the smallest nuclear weapon would set fires over a wide area if detonated in the air. Depending on the height of the explosion, it could also spread lingering radioactive fallout, possibly extending into NATO member countries and Russia itself.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The News Goes Dark

Ever since the Clinton gang made it possible for corporations to own the news and the rise of the internet providing news of the day newsrooms have been in a bit of bother……slowly but slowly the public is losing those small news operations that cannot compete with the corporations and their influence.

Just last week the news broke that BuzzFeed was shuddering their news room….

BuzzFeed News is being shut down, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti announced in an email sent to staff on Thursday. He wrote that “we are reducing our workforce by approximately 15% today across our Business, Content, Tech, and Admin teams, and beginning the process of closing BuzzFeed News.” He continued, “HuffPost and BuzzFeed Dot Com have signaled that they will open a number of select roles for members of BuzzFeed News. … Moving forward, we will have a single news brand in HuffPost, which is profitable, with a loyal direct front page audience.”

Last month, CNBC reported BuzzFeed was slimming down its roughly 100-person news department through voluntary buyouts offered to what sources said was about a third of those employees. CNBC noted that investors had lobbied to have the entire newsroom shut down. Sources said it was losing $10 million annually, and that killing it off would increase the company’s market cap by $300 million; CNBC reports shares had crashed 90% since its IPO. The company shut down its news app at the beginning of the month.

CNBC reporter Alex Sherman called Peretti’s email an “unusually apologetic note by a CEO.” After outlining the challenges that have battered the company (ranging from COVID to a slew of economic headwinds), Peretti writes that “I also want to be clear: I could have managed these changes better as the CEO of this company and our leadership team could have performed better despite these circumstances.” He faulted a slow integration of the company’s two business organizations, BuzzFeed and Complex and a “decision to overinvest in BuzzFeed News because I love their work and mission so much.”

“This made me slow to accept that the big platforms wouldn’t provide the distribution or financial support required to support premium, free journalism purpose-built for social media,” he continued. “More broadly, I regret that I didn’t hold the company to higher standards for profitability, to give us the buffer needed to manage through economic and industry downturns and avoid painful days like today. … I’ve learned from these mistakes … It might not feel this way today, but I am confident the future of digital media is ours for the taking. Our industry is hurting and ready to be reborn. We are taking great pains today, and will begin to fight our way to a bright future.”

Now news has broken that another small news operation will no longer be available…..Vice

Vice, the media company that went from a Montreal punk magazine more than 20 years ago to a juggernaut with a $5.7 billion valuation, is the latest member of the Fourth Estate to be on the brink of going belly up. The New York Times, citing three “people with knowledge” but not authorization to blab publicly, reports the company is currently shopping for a buyer but preparing for bankruptcy in the event that doesn’t happen. It’s quite a trajectory: Vice dazzled among new media companies, raising huge amounts of funding from the likes of Disney and Fox, and expanding into global bureaus, an HBO show, and even a movie studio.

“Vice Media Group has been engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives and planning,” Vice said in a statement. “The company, its board and stakeholders continue to be focused on finding the best path.” The Times notes that a bankruptcy filing could give control of Vice to its biggest debt-holder, Fortress Investment Group, which holds “senior” debt over Fox and Disney—also meaning that Fortress is at the front of the line to get paid if Vice should sell. Quartz notes that it’s been a rough stretch for media, with BuzzFeed shutting down its news operation last month, and the likes of FiveThirtyEight, Gannett, National Geographic, NPR, the Washington Post, and Vox all rattled by layoffs in the past several months.

Vice filed for bankruptcy as expected Monday morning, the latest large media company to go under. In this case, it appears that a group of Vice lenders including Soros Fund Management and Fortress Investment Group will attempt the buy the company with a credit bid of $225 million, reports CNBC. All of which cements “Vice’s status among the most notable bad bets in the media industry,” per the New York Times.

It appears that the elimination of the more independent journalists has begun and the winners will always be the corporate media.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Ever Wonder Where The Money Goes?

I know most people walk around in a haze and believe the hype that is spread by the War Department on the need for more and more cash…..

So keeping with my attempts to be an FYI blog I offer this info on the Pentagon budget…..if you care where your tax dollars go then you might want to read this carefully and decide if it is money well spent.

This will give my reader an idea of just how much money is being spent under the guise of defense and where these dollars will go.

Now that I have your attention let us look at how the media plays into to censorship of information around our War Department and our lust for war…..

If I have peaked your interest then by all means read on…..

On January 17, 1961, outgoing President and former Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower gave one of the most consequential speeches in American history. Eisenhower for eight years had been a popular president, whose appeal drew upon a reputation as a person of great personal fortitude, who’d guided the United States to victory in an existential fight for survival in World War II. Nonetheless, as he prepared to vacate the Oval Office for handsome young John F. Kennedy, he warned the country it was now at the mercy of a power even he could not overcome. 

Until World War II, America had no permanent arms manufacturing industry. Now it did, and this new sector, Eisenhower said, was building up around itself a cultural, financial, and political support system accruing enormous power. This “conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience,” he said, adding:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. 

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes… Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. 

This was the direst of warnings, but the address has tended in the popular press to be ignored. After sixty-plus years, most of America – including most of the American left, which traditionally focused the most on this issue – has lost its fear that our arms industry might conquer democracy from within. 

https://www.racket.news/p/report-on-the-censorship-industrial-74b

Keep an eye on the news….there may be a request for even more cash for Ukraine by mid-Summer….

The last massive aid package Congress authorized for Ukraine has about $6 billion left, which is expected to be used up by mid-summer, POLITICO reported Monday.

So far, the US has authorized about $113 billion in spending on the war in Ukraine, which includes military aid, direct budgetary aid, training, funding for US troop deployments in Eastern Europe, and other types of assistance.

Once the final $6 billion dries up, the Pentagon won’t be able to ship more weapons to Ukraine. That means the White House is expected to ask Congress to authorize more spending on the war soon.

A senior Biden administration official told POLITICO that the White House is discussing a new package and is going to time it so the weapons can keep flowing to Ukraine. The official said the administration is “fully committed” to supporting Kyiv in the war “for the long haul.”

The POLITICO report said that massive aid packages for Ukraine might not be as easy to ram through Congress as they were before, citing the debate over the debt ceiling and dissent from a small but significant group of Republicans. But the majority of Republicans support arming Ukraine, including GOP leadership, who have been critical of President Biden for not sending longer-range weapons and fighter jets.

“Although there are dissenting voices, the large majority of certainly Republicans — for sure in the Senate and arguably in the House as well — believe strongly that we need Ukraine to win and that the outcome there is something that matters not only to that region, but to the United States and our national security interests,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

On the Democrat side, there is virtually no opposition to arming Ukraine. While there’s still strong support in Congress for arming Ukraine, hawks in Washington are concerned it could decline if Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive fails.

(antiwar.com)

For god sake please pull your head out of the proverbial sand pile….or better yet out of your ass.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”