We don’t do politics here on ExNotes, mostly because we don’t want to lose all our readers. If Gresh expressed his views, we’d lose half of you, and if I expressed my views, we’d lose the other half. That said, what has been happening in the world the over the last week transcends mere politics (von Clausewitz’s definition of war being an extension of politics by other means notwithstanding).
I don’t agree with much of what the current team at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been doing for the last year, but I think we are taking the prudent course of action regarding Russia. Not the moral course of action or the course of action President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his nation deserve, but the prudent course. What do you do when a madman has his finger on the nuclear trigger? It’s not a time to call his bluff, and for that, I think what’s happening here on the home front is prudent. But if ever a nation and a leader deserved our intervention, this is it. President Zelenskyy’s response when offered US help to flee Ukraine was eloquent: I need ammunition, not a ride. This, my friends, is a leader. A combat commander. The real deal.
People are comparing Zelenskyy to Churchill. The comparisons are valid, but the more appropriate comparison I think of is General Anthony McAuliffe. When surrounded by the Germans at Bastogne, McAuliffe’s response to their surrender demand was similarly eloquent: Nuts. General George S. Patton said that a man so eloquent deserved to be saved. That is certainly the case for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine.
Maybe we are seeing real leadership in Washington. We can only hope. Tightening the screws on the oligarchs and kleptocrats surrounding Putin may well lead to Putin’s demise. I’m guessing that’s the game plan. I hope it happens quickly.
Right there with you on this one. I think Putin miscalculated badly and never expected the shit storm this has stirred up. He and Russia have gone from thorn in the side status to full blown Nazi’s literally overnight.
I think they always were Nazis. I think the world is seeing it now.
Yep. That is as eloquent as I get.
Yep. I wish there was more I could do.
Yes, a sticky situation and I believe the US is handling it well. A nuclear war will change life on Earth forever. I don’t believe Putin is a “madman” by my (mostly Hollywood) definition. A “madman” is usually one of those super villains who use their genius for evil purposes instead of good. In short, Putin is an A-hole, (in the same way Hitler was an A-hole), a self serving egotistical A-hole. It’s that simple. He rides horseback without a shirt for cry-eye, like the cover of a cheesey romance novel. As of this writing, Russia’s forty mile long column of military vehicles is comfortably waiting to enter Kiev (a squadron of warthogs or gunships would change that quickly but Ukraine doesn’t have any) and Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are talking. What’s to negotiate? Get out!
Well said, Marcus. Thanks for commenting.
Unfortunately, there are Americans who support the invasion. Even calling it genius. We’ve become ethically flabby and Much too comfortable with bullies.
We (the US) have lost the moral high ground due to our many invasions over the last 60 years. Of course we tell ourselves we did it for all the right reasons and maybe we did but the Hundreds of thousands of dead are still dead.
Ukraine’s leader gives me a little hope that not all politicians are pieces of shit. So that’s a positive thing.
Hey, good thing we stay out of politics!
Well said, Joe. It is a good thing we stay out of politics. This was an exception.
Excellent points. Nonetheless this madman must be stopped. This attack must be stopped. Our only hope is that Western Europe and NATO remembers what happened in history and end this genocide. The world also needs to monitor his relationship with Venezuela and Cuba. China is supporting Cuba now, and we all know that they are bedfellows with Russia.
I am disappointed in China’s stance on all of this. The Europeans have short memories, I think.
If Putin isn’t stopped this will end badly for all
Agreed.
This military conflict has been going on for nearly two weeks, and I only look at the war from the perspective of a military enthusiast.
Russia contributed a low-level war show of the 1980s. Without precision-guided weapons, the level of information is limited to handheld radios, poor logistical supplies, and the overall level is far inferior to the Desert Storm operation launched by the United States more than 30 years ago. Everything shows the visible decline of Russia. All this is not surprising when you learn that Russia’s GDP is not as good as China’s Guangdong Province.
Good inputs, Fan, and good to hear from you. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Joe, you know the Chinese are very fond of discussing the relations between China, Russia, and the States. There is a saying among Chinese folks: half-dead Russia is a good Russia.
Even in the worst period of relations between China and the States, both sides can maintain maximum restraint to avoid further escalation of the situation. The conflict between the two sides is more about words. But Russia is different, this country has no sense, whether it is Tsarist Russia, or USSR, or now Russia.
In the 1960s, China and the USSR were at odds. The Soviet Union tried to carry out a large-scale nuclear strike and ground invasion of China. If USSR invaded China via Mongolia, it would only take two days to reach Beijing. In response to this situation, the Chinese government has relocated heavy industry and important institutions to the southwest, where was not easily accessible, which is one reason why Chongqing has become an industrial city.
An important reason for the Chinese government’s appeasement policy towards the Ukraine crisis this time is to hope that Russia can be further weakened. Of course, the most tragic is the Ukrainian people, praying that the war will end ASAP.