Although we love to hate him and deserves criticism for many things, that man in the White House is not the one bringing us to the brink. A couple of decades of failure by policy makers to understand what the man who is responsible was doing deserves far more blame. It wasn’t just the actions or inactions of the last seven months or even the past 20 that have gotten us where we are today.

I recommend the book Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World by H.R. McMaster.

No doubt a culmination of events contributed to where we are, but the weakness of the man in the White House is what is bringing us to the brink. His weakness in rolling to the green energy cultists by gutting our energy industry and his debacle in A-Stan allowed Putin to fund his army and gave him the encouragement to invade Ukraine.

As Jen Psaki unwittingly admitted some months ago, we've seen a pattern with Putin - he invaded Crimea when Obama was president and Biden was VP, and now he's invaded Ukraine with Biden as president. When Mike Pompeo was asked by I believe Maria Bartiromo whether Putin would have invaded if Trump were in office, he replied with (paraphrasing) "I don't know if he would have, but he didn't when President Trump was in office."

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BMR,

quote:

Originally posted by BansheeOne:
Ukraine has had much less success in the south where they are facing mostly regular Russian army troops which straight occupied territories that hadn't broken away from Ukraine first. Though as of yesterday, there are also reports of a Ukrainian breakthrough in the Kherson sector along the west bank of the Dnieper River there. Putin's official annexations really seem to have motivated them.

Yep, another Russian frontline collapse after the Ukrainians drove a wedge along the Dniepr bank, creating a salient for Russia which became untenable. No indication yet where the latter will consolidate for a new defensive line. This one cannot be blamed on underequipped separatist militia and Rosgvardiya troops either; as noted, there are much more Russian regulars in the south. They just seem bled out from attrition (both in combat and contract soldiers not re-enlisting) and lack of supplies after the Ukrainians destroyed bridges and depots to their rear with Western-delivered long-range precision rocket artillery.

When this mess started, General Jack Keane said that because of Russia's vast military and national resources, it was only a matter of time before Ukraine is overtaken. Though the "timeframe" may have extended beyond past and present expectations, I have not heard him retract that statement or change his prediction.

Has anyone else heard General Keane modify that prediction ? Or are there better qualified people saying otherwise ? I've always thought General Keane as being extremely knowlegable with great instincts based on experience and depth of thought.

What what about that ?

^^ Well, Ben Hodges is predicting that Ukraine will take back Crimea by mid-2023.
http://www.newsweek.com/retire...mea-mid-2023-1747222

Petraeus, FWIW, thinks there's no conceivable way for Putin to win.
http://www.msn.om/en-us/news/w...petraeus/ar-AA12AnWv

And back on May 15, Keane said

- "I think [the Russians] have to come to the realization that actually occupying a significant amount of territory in Ukraine is likely not going to happen. The Ukrainians, they have an opportunity here to push the Russians out."

- "But at the end of the day, it'll probably be a likely there'll be some kind of stalemate, hopefully with the Ukrainians taking back most of their territory."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/...r-wil-end/ar-AAWXRWX

Neither of Keanes' statements make it sound as though Keane expected Russia to take over Ukraine.

BTW, regarding all those US anti-submarine helicopters, anti-submarine aircraft etc. conspiciously flying along the general Nord Stream route before the lines blew, they may have been ... wait for it ... tracking a submarine! The Swedish Navy also had several ships in the area at the time, and one of them appears to have followed something to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Greenwald: No One Talks About Ending Ukraine War For Fear Of Being Labeled A 'Traitor'

Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

Journalist Glenn Greenwald noted Monday that talks to deescalate or end the conflict in Ukraine are virtually nonexistent because the legacy media and political elites have nurtured an atmosphere where to do so is considered ‘unpatriotic’.

Speaking to Tucker Carlson, Greenwald stated “There is a very real threat of a nuclear exchange, or even a direct confrontation with Russia and the United States. And over what? Over who governs and rules, not even Ukraine, but the Donbas, the eastern region in Ukraine, where a majority of people actually identify as ethnic Russians and want to be part of Russia.”

Greenwald continued, “Yet there’s almost no debate about whether we should be sending huge amounts of money there and risking the lives of American citizens through the possibility of a nuclear war.”

“Because everyone knows that the minute you step up and step out of line, there’s a hoard of people ready to call you unpatriotic, or a traitor, or an admirer of Vladimir Putin, as I know is being done with our very segment right this minute by all those Media Matter people and all those other people online,” the journalist continued.

“It’s a really repressive atmosphere and squashing a debate that we absolutely have to have,” Greenwald further urged.

Greenwald and Carlson also warned that it is foolish not to take Putin at his word that he is willing to deploy Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

“It seems to me, no matter how you feel about Putin, or Ukraine, or the war, or anything, the threat, the very real in-your-face threat of a nuclear exchange right now that they’re openly talking about would require the media to start telling people, hey, this is real, but nobody is. I wonder why that is,” Carlson posited.

Greenwald responded, “I think there’s almost this sense purposely cultivated to believe that the use of nuclear weapons really isn’t a realistic possibility.”

He continued, “It is madness to assume that for Russia, what is an existential war, if they actually start losing it, or NATO really starts escalating as we’ve been doing, that the chances of Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons is zero. This is a dangerous delusion that I think a lot of people are operating under.”

Carlson also note that “if you ignore the possibility that your entire population could be killed, you are not fit for leadership, because you’re insane. And it feels like our leaders are right there. They’re insane.”

Watch:



Greenwald’s analysis dovetails with Tesla CEO Elon Musk being attacked, even by Ukrainian ‘diplomats’, for calling for peace talks:

https://www.zerohedge.com/poli...eing-labeled-traitor

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:
When this mess started, General Jack Keane said that because of Russia's vast military and national resources, it was only a matter of time before Ukraine is overtaken. Though the "timeframe" may have extended beyond past and present expectations, I have not heard him retract that statement or change his prediction.

quote:

“Because everyone knows that the minute you step up and step out of line, there’s a hoard of people ready to call you unpatriotic, or a traitor, or an admirer of Vladimir Putin, as I know is being done with our very segment right this minute by all those Media Matter people and all those other people online,” the journalist continued.

That sums up the last decade of how the press has covered events: Officer Involved Shooting, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Climate Change, Electric Vehicles, etc. Look at any news pool during a press conference and its more of a mob unified to play gotcha or, lob softballs to the speaker. Read any written news and the same buzzwords and tropes are used repeatedly.

^^^ That also may just be Tucker bitching about being criticized for having the opinions he does. Its not like he's got all that much company.

I realize I'm stating the obvious here but If Ukraine continues to hold its own against Russia thanks to US military and financial aid then Biden and Democrats may benefit in the upcoming elections as some people will conflate a Ukrainian victory with Biden's presidency. We must do everything possible to make sure Ukraine loses this conflict. While I don't expect Tucker Carlson and other conservative commentators/politicians to ever come out and address this fact as bluntly as I just did I do appreciate that they are making an effort to undermine public support for Ukraine.

Did you just say that Ukraine must lose to Russia so Biden does not look good? Wow!

quote:

Originally posted by Carpentermaass84:
I realize I'm stating the obvious here but If Ukraine continues to hold its own against Russia thanks to US military and financial aid then Biden and Democrats may benefit in the upcoming elections as some people will conflate a Ukrainian victory with Biden's presidency. We must do everything possible to make sure Ukraine loses this conflict. While I don't expect Tucker Carlson and other conservative commentators/politicians to ever come out and address this fact as bluntly as I just did I do appreciate that they are making an effort to undermine public support for Ukraine.

The alternative is Democrats gaining points in what has typically been a strongpoint for the Republican Party; foreign policy. Carlson is on the same page but he can't just outright say "Ukraine must lose". Imagine Biden going into 2024 and being able to trumpet "I defeated Russia"..... how would that benefit us if we're looking to get Trump back in office?

There's never a comet around when you need one.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:


Although we love to hate him and deserves criticism for many things, that man in the White House is not the one bringing us to the brink.

Are you serious?

It IS this idiot and his idiot handlers bringing us to the brink. Hell, what do we do when Putin gets desperate and drops a nuke on Kiev?

This clown is happily draining our SPR as we speak down to unprecedented levels trying to save his own ass. Trump tried to fill it waaaaay up with $25 a barrel oil but the Dems had to stop him at all costs of course. We may need that SPR some day in a war with China and it's gonna be EMPTY.

Do you realize what a Biden apologist you sound like right now?

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Do you realize what a Biden apologist you sound like right now?

Your criticism of my post offers up a target rich opportunity to respond, but I will limit mine to stating that I am well accustomed to having some people misunderstand me.
It is just something that comes with posting on a public forum.

I know what you meant… And I agree.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
^^^ That also may just be Tucker bitching about being criticized for having the opinions he does. Its not like he's got all that much company.

Tucker aside, riddle me this. What 'should' we trust coming out of government and the media at this point? I think the only answer that makes sense to most of us is....Nothing. Covid is likely the best and most current example of the collusion and dishonesty between government and the media, but there are many others. As it relates to Ukraine (or virtually any other current topic of conversation including who attacked the Nord stream pipelines), I believe absolutely nothing coming out of this administration or their lap dog media.

he wouldn't get us into a war with either - he's too much of a pussy

he would run and hide in his basement in Delaware after surrenduring

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Tucker aside, riddle me this. What 'should' we trust coming out of government and the media at this point? I think the only answer that makes sense to most of us is....Nothing. Covid is likely the best and most current example of the collusion and dishonesty between government and the media, but there are many others. As it relates to Ukraine (or virtually any other current topic of conversation including who attacked the Nord stream pipelines), I believe absolutely nothing coming out of this administration or their lap dog media.

"Riddle me this"? Really?

When both the American lapdog media and the Russian lapdog media and the media from the rest of the world is telling you what the Ukrainians are telling you - that Russia is losing thousands of square miles to Ukrainian counterattacks, that Western weapons are a very effective part of those efforts, that Russians are fighting poorly because of a lack of motivation, no training, crap communications and a rapidly dwindling supply of more sophisticated weapons - then I think it's reasonable to have some faith (if not trust) in the odds.

What do the odds say? That Ukraine is fighting back effectively and could win, that the weapons and intelligence we're supplying them makes that possible, and that, after over a century of hostility, subversion and a never-ending stream of threats, an expansionist gambit has brought the Russian empire to a point where it's teetering on the edge of an implosion.

You know what you shouldn't trust any more than you should trust Uncah Ho or the MSM? The impulse to react reflexively.