One of the MANY reasons I’m hoping Kamala Harris becomes the 47th president of the United States is the war in Ukraine. I regularly talk to my “Millennial” son about Russia’s ILLEGAL invasion of its neighbor and for over a year I’ve been saying the Ukrainians need to take the battle to Russia, IN Russia. Well, now they’ve done so and I was reading an article tonight about Putin’s reaction to the invasion into Kursk and his seemingly lack of ability to realize what’s actually happening. To me, it’s time for the “West” to take of the “training wheels” regarding the support they’re providing to Ukraine and allow “their” weapons to be used inside of Russia. Let the Russian people feel some of what the Ukrainian people have been dealing with for nearly three years now.
Of course Putin – further convincing me he is Donald Trump’s mentor – said the following to the Russian people as he said NO to potential peace negotiations with Ukraine: “But what kind of negotiations?” he scoffed. “How do we even talk with people who indiscriminately strike at civilians, at civilian infrastructure and try to create threats to nuclear energy? What can we even talk about with them?”
Do you see the hypocritical IRONY in those words coming from Putin’s mouth. I mean the Russian are STILL dropping bombs (up to three tons in weight) on apartment complexes, shopping malls, schools, hospitals, and they’ve been controlling the largest nuclear power plant (it’s located IN UKRAINE) in Europe for the past two plus years. Seriously, are the Russian people so hidden from reality or ??? (Stupid?) to actually believe this man. Of course, being disagreeable with Putin can find you in a Penal Colony – or falling out of a window – or, mysteriously ingesting poison, but, hey……
Putin is rattled and the Ukrainians are following the age old strategy of “giving your opponent a taste of their own medicine.” The BIG difference is reports have come out the Ukrainians are helping to feed the Russian civilians caught in what crossfire there is, although, it appears the Russians were so caught off guard there was little resistance to the Ukrainian invasion. Apparently, the Russians have fortified their troops around Belgorod in an attempt to prevent ceding more territory to the Ukrainians.
For me, this is the only way the Ukrainians can actually WIN this war. Obviously, the Russians have many more troops and are willing to LOSE even many MORE than they already have – with the numbers of Russians killed or wounded in the war fast approaching 600,000. That’s a staggering number and, obviously, Putin could care less about even one of them. The Russians continue pushing WAVES of troops at Ukraine losing OVER 1,000 on an average day – that’s right, DAY!
The Ukrainians are attempting to hit the Russians where it hurts the most – airfields in Kursk where planes take off carrying bombs intended for civilian targets in Ukraine. They’re destroying bridges in Kursk making it MUCH more difficult to supply troops (and Civilians) in the (now) HUGE area controlled by Ukraine, and reports I’ve read suggest over 2000 Russian troops in the region have surrendered. To me, while the Ukrainians continue to be the underdogs – especially, with the West failing to provide enough arms for them to push the Russians out (remember, this war will go well beyond Ukraine if the Ukrainians give in) – as the old saying goes (republican no less) the Ukrainians are fighting over there so we don’t have to – or something like that.
For those in America who don’t want to see the Russians ultimately pushing into Poland, Hungary, and the other former “Soviet” states (members of NATO meaning our troops would then be involved) you should think twice about supporting Trump if you’re STUPID enough to be planning to do so. Trump called Putin’s invasion of Ukraine “genius” and says he’ll end the war in “one day.” Well, another LIE – but, I do believe he would cut off aid to Ukraine forthwith. And JD Vance, when he’s not on his couch, has said, “I could care less what happens to Ukraine.”
One reason I wasn’t worried about Joe Biden’s age was because had he won a second term and something happened to prevent him from “governing” Kamala Harris would have become president. (Well, it appears there’s a good chance she does so anyway) But, just think about the possibilities should Trump succeed (in CHEATING to win) this November. He’s the OLDEST candidate for president in the history of the country. That’s correct, he’s older than President Biden was in 2020. Can you even picture of this J.D. Vance dude becoming president. I mean the ONLY person ever to run for this office with less qualification than Vance would have been Trump in 2016.
Obviously, there’s a segment of the American public who don’t care. They still haven’t figured out the republicans are all about POWER with no idea how to govern. Trump accomplished ONE thing of significance legislatively in his first term – a tax cut which increased the national debt be several TRILLION – with MOST of the benefits going to the “top 1%” and corporations who used the benefit to buy back stocks – raising the stock prices and providing the executives with massive gains.
People like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, to name a few (and there were MANY more) actually had their fortunes DOUBLE after the tax cuts and the pandemic. Speaking of the pandemic, Trump’s FAILURE to be able to deal with it likely is the reason he’s not still the president (praise the Lord) – not only did (by many accounts) several HUNDRED thousand Americans die needlessly, but when Trump left office (and 400 Americans were DYING daily – with NO plan to stop the carnage) there were three MILLION fewer Americans with jobs than when he took office.
You have to go back to Herbert Hoover to find a president with similar failed economic policy. (Apparently, Trump’s SIX bankruptcies SHOULD have been a clue) That’s why I was such a strong supporter of President Biden despite the FACT he’s too old. Biden, by many accounts, has been the MOST impactful president since FDR took over for the failed policies of Hoover. He managed to get MORE meaningful legislation passed in his first two years – despite a razor thing majority in the House (about the same as the republican majority over the past two years where NOTHING has been accomplished without the help of democrats – other than torpedoing their own speaker) and a 50/50 “majority” in the Senate (which included Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema) than any administration in my lifetime (I’ve been paying attention to politics since the Eisenhower years in the 50’s).
To anyone who’s paid attention to how economics and the government works for any length of time it should surprise no one that coming out of the pandemic – with supply chains choked off and MILLIONS of people out of work – that addressing those issues forthrightly would lead to inflation – especially, with corporations with little to no regard for their civic duty – for them it’s all about the “Benjamin’s” – their sole purpose is to make as MUCH money as they can. All of a sudden MILLIONS were going back to work, wages were increasing (giving people at the “bottom” money to spend) and the issue with the supply chains (plus Putin’s aforementioned war) naturally led to inflation.
Using history as a guide and knowing we seem to rely on the Fed to “jack up” interest rates as their sole defense against inflation – most “experts” were predicting there had to be a recession to slow down the increase in prices. Well, the Biden administration has inflation in America the lowest in the Western world and the economy continues to produce record levels of job growth. So much for the “experts.” And, of course, Trump’s proposed solutions (including Project 2025 which he conveniently says “I know nothing about 25” – just ANOTHER in his LONG list of LIES) will likely not only cost Americans thousands per year but will reignite inflation – but, at least he’ll solve the Ukraine war in one day (while he’s the “dictator”)
Putin and Trump are “cut from the same cloth.” Narcissistic and delusional, but obsessed with POWER. Putin is, at least as I’m writing this, entrenched at the head of Russia while he uses the same Nazi tactics as Trump. Tell your LIES over and over until the “people” believe they’re “true” and use PROJECTION when discussing your enemies. That is, put your transgressions on them before the public understands what has happened to it.
Both Putin and Trump, if they’re good at anything, it’s pathological LYING and accusing – in Putin’s case accusing Ukraine (and America) of his own policies of attacking civilians and the power grid, while in Trump’s case, the most egregious example of his PROJECTION (it’s commonplace with him) would be accusing Ms. Harris of CHEATING regarding her crowds, etc. Talk about the “Pot calling the kettle black.” Remember, this is a man who not only CHEATED to “win” back in 2016, but he CHEATS at “golf.” You really have to be a CHEATER to CHEAT at golf! (Putin CHEATS to win every time there’s an election in Russia)
The bottom line for me here is that I feel really good about Ukraine’s decision to take the fight into Russia. I mean, why on earth does all the fighting have to be on Ukrainian “soil.” Russia’s been holding a significant portion of Ukraine since the “Orange Revolution” in 2014 as Putin became more and more paranoid about having a nation which evolved to democratic rule right on its border. He became convinced Ukraine would be joining NATO and, in the process of “stopping” them (for something which was certainly not imminent at a minimum) he “encouraged” BOTH Finland and Sweden on or near its northern border to actually join NATO. (Stupid?)
Russia has proven itself to be a “paper tiger” as they’ve been emptying their reserve weaponry, sacrificing their people by the HUNDREDS of thousands, and facing an economic disaster all because Putin, in the words of Trump, is a “genius.” (I hope you see the sarcasm in that last sentence). I’ll say it again, Putin and Trump are similar in so many ways: Power hungry LIARS who PROJECT their failures on their enemies. It’s time for Trump to be voted into the history books right next to Benedict Arnold and for the Russian Army to solve the Putin problem in their traditional fashion. High up window anyone?
Final Thought: This next week is the Democratic Convention in Chicago. The first year I was eligible to vote it was 1968, right in the middle of the Viet Nam war. My chosen candidate was Robert F Kennedy and, of course, he was murdered before democrats had a chance to nominate him giving “we the people” hope THAT illegal war would be ended. Of course, there were massive demonstrations leading to what was later termed a “police riot” which pretty much ensured Richard Nixon would win the 1968 election.
Well, there are many planned demonstrations planned again this year, according to reports and my hope is the demonstrations will be peaceful. The thing I find interesting is these protests will be regarding the Israeli SLAUGHTER of civilians in GAZA. Obviously, this SHOULD stop “yesterday.” However, I’ve been pointing out since Israel sent their first troops into GAZA (and started, in essence, leveling it) that Bibi Netanyahu will drag this war on indefinitely – because his regime will be toppled the day it ends and he’ll be facing his own CORRUPTION charges.
What I find really interesting is I didn’t read about these protestors during the republican convention. They many have been there I just didn’t see them if they were because, surprise, surprise, I didn’t watch the republican convention. I get that many of these people believe President Biden has the power to stop Israel’s attack – arguably on HAMAS – but Netanyahu (and his right wing “cabinet” – not the correct term) have no interest in letting Biden influence them. My point here is, have these demonstrators considered the other option? Trump? Netanyahu was part of the CONSPIRACY to get Trump elected (according to Seth Abramson’s book “Proof of Conspiracy”) along with the Russians, the Saudi’s, the Emerati’s, and the Egyptians back in 2016. Simply put, Trump is NOT the answer to what’s happening to the Palestinian people in GAZA. I pray for a CEASEFIRE as soon as possible and for food, necessary supplies, and reconstruction of GAZA along with a plan for a Palestinian state, ASAP. Stay tuned………….