Ukraine - somebody explain to me

[Bo Diddley]

And so all the Republican opposition is just some sort of psyops? That’s funny.

I don't think they're completely against it. I think they want concessions to pass it. Maybe some of them are, but not as a whole.

[Clark Addison]

I am sure that Republicans have a vast diversity of opinion on Ukraine. Unfortunately, the vast majority of congressional Republicans right now really only have two motivations:

1. Be brown-nosing lickspittles to Trump
2. Oppose anything Joe Biden says

[Pelado]

I am sure that Republicans have a vast diversity of opinion on Ukraine. Unfortunately, the vast majority of congressional Republicans right now really only have two motivations:

1. Be brown-nosing lickspittles to Trump
2. Oppose anything Joe Biden says

Lickspittles? Dude, I need that word in my vocabulary.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I don't think they're completely against it. I think they want concessions to pass it. Maybe some of them are, but not as a whole.

Yes, they have been very clear about the concessions: no Ukraine aid without a border security bill. But of course they will not pass any border bill because the Mango Mussolini told them not to. Meanwhile Ukraine suffers from a critical arms shortage and they are taking consistent losses and getting annihilated is now a very real possibility. I am amazed that you have such a generous view of these folks.

[BigFatMeanie]

Yes, they have been very clear about the concessions: no Ukraine aid without a border security bill. But of course they will not pass any border bill because the Mango Mussolini told them not to. Meanwhile Ukraine suffers from a critical arms shortage and they are taking consistent losses and getting annihilated is now a very real possibility. I am amazed that you have such a generous view of these folks.

LOL - that's a good one. First time I've read or heard that one.

[Bo Diddley]

Yes, they have been very clear about the concessions: no Ukraine aid without a border security bill. But of course they will not pass any border bill because the Mango Mussolini told them not to. Meanwhile Ukraine suffers from a critical arms shortage and they are taking consistent losses and getting annihilated is now a very real possibility. I am amazed that you have such a generous view of these folks.

I'm optimistic by nature. We'll see if that optimism is misplaced.

[Commando]

I'm optimistic by nature. We'll see if that optimism is misplaced.

Well I think Mike Johnson wants to pass Ukraine aid, but is under constant threat of ejection by the pro-Putin MAGA contingency. He should do it anyway-- one big bill on his way out.

[Bo Diddley]

Well I think Mike Johnson wants to pass Ukraine aid, but is under constant threat of ejection by the pro-Putin MAGA contingency. He should do it anyway-- one big bill on his way out.

Yes, that's part of what leads me to my take on this. It's the extreme within the GOP that seem to be against it. But even then, it seems like their excuse is we're spending too much money on it.

That's such a short sighted view. The return we get by degrading Russia is pennies on the dollar.

[Commando]

Yes, that's part of what leads me to my take on this. It's the extreme within the GOP that seem to be against it. But even then, it seems like their excuse is we're spending too much money on it.

That's such a short sighted view. The return we get by degrading Russia is pennies on the dollar.

I don't think some of them really want to degrade Russia. Farbeit from me to accuse them of being paid Russian assets, but.... they do seem dumb, disloyal, and susceptible to corruption.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Stop kidding yourself, guys. If the Republican congress wanted to pass an aid bill for Ukraine they could do it in a heartbeat. Almost all democrats would vote yes so they could easily thwart a far-right minority.

[Bo Diddley]

Stop kidding yourself, guys. If the Republican congress wanted to pass an aid bill for Ukraine they could do it in a heartbeat. Almost all democrats would vote yes so they could easily thwart a far-right minority.

Yeah, Mike Johnson "wants to" pass the package, but is afraid to have the carpet pulled out from under him by those who hold a more extreme view.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yeah, Mike Johnson "wants to" pass the package, but is afraid to have the carpet pulled out from under him by those who hold a more extreme view.

From the WSJ:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mike-jo...biden-2b21c584

Funding for arms passed the Senate with 70 votes but has been hung up in the House. More support for Kyiv is unpalatable to roughly half of the GOP conference. So it’s all the more notable that Mr. Johnson is clear about the stakes and is trying to cobble together a package that can pass. The word for this is leadership.

Half of the GOP is against more aid. I stand by my original comment.

[PaloAltoCougar]

For those interested in a fairly in-depth (yet very watchable) history of the Cold War and events today, Netflix's Turning Point--The Bomb and the Cold War is must-see TV. I just finished all nine one-hour episodes and it's the best thing I can remember watching on Netflix. Lots of new details from events I thought I knew a lot about, and its coverage [episodes 8 and 9) of Putin's rise to power and what he's up to now should be watched by everyone.

The series features interview footage with key people (e.g., Condie Rice, Bob Gates, Michael McFaul, and lots of Russians and Ukrainians), providing some fascinating and disturbing insights. I've taken a few classes from McFaul (ambassador to Russia during the Obama years)--Putin asked Trump at the Helsinki summit to send McFaul to Moscow to be "interviewed" and Trump considered it before smarter people shut that down. Anyway, McFaul said he remains in touch with key Russians and a few years ago was told, "Mike, if things get hot in Ukraine, you need to remember two things: One, we care more than you do. This is more important to us than it’ll ever be to the United States of America. And two, you people, you have really short attention spans. We don’t. We care more and we’ll be there for the long haul."

Proving that guy wrong would be a huge positive on the international front, but MAGA seems set on proving him right.

[wuapinmon]

Astonishing drone footage of a BMP getting absolutely lit up by a Bradley, followed by small arms fire, and two suicide drones. I think about 12 Russians get killed on camera. Don't watch this if death and people dying will cause you psychological harm.

https://t.me/AnAmericanWhoSupportsUkraine/2493

[Uncle Ted]

Looks like WW3 is just around the corner...

Putin is plotting ‘physical attacks’ on the West, says GCHQ chief

Vladimir Putin’s Russia is preparing “physical attacks” against the West, the head of GCHQ has warned, as British and American intelligence officials laid bare the dual threat posed by Moscow and Beijing.

Anne Keast-Butler, who was appointed to lead Britain’s signals intelligence operations last May, used her first major speech to highlight the immediate threat posed by the Kremlin and the “epoch-defining” risk posed by China to the UK and its allies.

The GCHQ director told a gathering of cyber security experts in Birmingham that her agency believed Moscow was looking to go further than attacks simply in cyberspace.
[...]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/putin-plo...102007920.html

Time to teach your kids and grandkids how to survive the apocalypse: