A Putin win in Ukraine is existential threat to America
How much military aid and support should the United States provide to Ukraine?
For me the answer is simple because it is fundamental. All they need to kick every Russian soldier out of Ukraine as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that has not been American policy since the Madman of Moscow started building up troops on the border. And it certainly was not the case when Russia gained footing in eastern Ukraine and the Crimea previously.
This is not a war that is won or lost by Ukraine without dire ramifications for the United States, NATO and the world allied democracies. It would be a major shift in world power away from the west and in favor of an alliance of evil nations – Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and a few second-tier authoritarian nations.
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough often describes Russia as some pipsqueak nations with a small GDP – and the United States as the world’s leading and most powerful military. A Russian victory would invalidate that opinion. In fact, it has been increasingly invalided in recent years.
A loss in Ukraine would undermine – if not end – the perception and reality of America as the world leader. It would embolden – as it already has – America’s mortal enemies to become more aggressive – including every terrorist organization on earth.
A loss in Ukraine would provide additional recruitment fodder for the terrorist network – as has the surrender in Afghanistan and Biden’s limpid responses to more than 150 attacks on American assets in the Middle East — and now his his ending America’s once rock-solid support for Israel.
The loss in Ukraine would have the world’s less aligned nations –and even nations in NATO= building pragmatic relationships with Russia and China. There would be a decided shift in world diplomacy and trade. The Alliance of Evil will enhance its effort to topple the dollar as the world currency – an event that would crush the American economy and end the era of world leadership in commerce and technology.
The loss of Ukraine would result in a loss of strategic benefits in terms of intelligence. It would shift the balance of world power to the Alliance of Evil. It removes the buffer state between Russia and NATO.
In taking over Ukraine, Russia and its allies would gain enormous natural and critical resources in terms of minerals and food production. It would extend Russian leverage over the African nations that already depend on Ukraine’s corn and wheat. It would provide Putin with more oil revenues to float his imperial schemes.
A loss in Ukraine would only fuel Putin’s desire and willingness to use his military to reclaim more of the old Soviet empire. And keep in mind, Putin had the testicular fortitude to invade Ukraine because the world democracies allowed his expansion into other former Soviet satellite states in the past.
In terms of Ukraine, the stakes are high for the United States and the world democracies. So, why all the reticence in providing the necessary support for Ukraine to defeat Putin’s empire-building ambitions – and his existential threat to the United State?
I do not know. It is beyond my comprehension.
From the moment Putin put his military on the border of Ukraine, the Biden administration has failed to respond effectively. Words and sanctions were shrugged off. Biden covered and crumbled in the face of Putin’s bully-like threats of nuclear war. He took up a Neville Chamberlain approach to accept Russian advances and hope there would be no more.
At the very onset, Biden assured Putin that the United States would stand down on a military commitment to Ukraine. I personally believe that was what Putin saw as a green light to launch his invasion. He would not have to face the powerful American and NATO military machines. The mere threat – credible threat – of that prospect might well have been enough for Putin to give up his plan to take Ukraine by force – at least temporarily.
Biden talked tough in support of Ukraine, but wimped out when it came to real and effective support. His too little/too late policies are the reason the war is still going on. Biden was willing to give Ukraine moral – and some military – support, but not enough to piss Putin off – which seemed to be Biden’s chief concern.
Former Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko said that America’s minimal and delayed responses to military aid has sent a signal to Putin to “attack, ruin infrastructure and rampage” over Ukraine. He is not wrong.
While the current political debate focuses on the delay in the passage of the Ukraine congressional aid package – mostly at the hands of a Republican isolationist faction with a few radical left-wingers on the Democrat side.
In terms of optics, it allows Biden to appear to be all in on aid to Ukraine – which he never was and still is not. Remember, long before a small contingent of Republican idiots mounted opposition to Ukraine aid and did delay the delivery, Biden was already withholding essential weaponry.
For most of the war, he refused to send advanced weapons – and placed conditions on the weapons he sent that they could not be used to strike targets inside Mother Russia. Biden refused to provide military intelligence. Biden refused to invoke a no-fly zone at the onset of the war – and still refuses to provide Ukraine with fighter jets. (Ukraine will be receiving F-16 fighter jets, but not from America. They are being sent by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. So much for Biden’s leadership in NATO.)
And what about those fringe Republicans wanting all aid to Ukraine to cease? As a longtime conservative who generally toils within the GOP, I have no idea how they hold that position. It is so patently stupid and destructive to United States interests and security, that their position is virtually beyond rational speculation.
The recalcitrant Republicans only plausible claim is that the money is better used for other things, such as defending the southern border. That is political pandering. America has more than enough money to defend the southern border from illegal border crossing AND defend the greater security for the United States on the world stage. It is not as much a matter of money as priorities. There are a lot of fat, waste and less critical line items in the federal budget from which the financial resources can be taken.
The actions of that small GOP contingent that delayed Ukraine funding for five months provided Biden with an opportunity to cast himself as the champion of aid to Ukraine – and Republicans as the blocker.
It is debatable whether the delay had any role in the current advances by the Russian military in northeast Ukraine. Regardless if the delay has had a negative military impact on the battlefield or not, it has proved very bad political optics for the GOP. Biden has deftly used to his political advantage by distracting from his own culpability. That is why it is important to understand that despite his current language, Biden has been THE major block to military aid for the past two years – often ignoring the requests for more support from NATO allies.
But that does not exonerate Republicans in Congress for attempting to withhold military aid completely. They did succeed in delaying critical aid. And they did provide optimism and an ever real advantage to Putin. They made America seem less committed than we are – which is not fully committed, in the first place – and more likely to eventually abandon Ukraine completely. They emboldened Putin – and that had to be great news in Moscow – and Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang.
It should be noted that the current advance by Russian troops is not a net gain in the war. They are attempting to re-gain territory that they lost to the Ukraine military in the past. It is a minor point, but significant in understanding the overall dynamics of the war.
It is not too late to reestablish American leadership in terms of thwarting Putin’s plans for Ukraine. It would require a new policy – articulated and enacted – with the goal as the TOTAL defeat of Putin in Ukraine. It would take a President Reagan to accomplish such a goal – and America seems to be left with a bunch of Neville Chamberlains.
So, there ‘tis.
Not with Trump in the White House. But with the moron Biden it’s probably much more dangerous for the world
DONT! DONT!
Make of that what you will.
The words from our President to the rest of the world.
What as Ass!
Does this have you quacking in your shoes?
Well it did not do anything for the rest of the world as well!
Trump has the democrats quaking in their shoes. Frank is shaking like a queer at a weiner roast.
Nice third grade taunt. Yet even a third grader might wonder, why would a gay man shake at a hot dog roast?
Can Archie explain that one or did his groomer forget to bring him up to speed?
Come on Arch, gay, hot dogs, what’s the joke?
Try; Arch’s girl is so ugly, I wouldn’t do her with his dick. Your women’s so ugly, Bill Cosby gave her a ref bull. Your mamma so nasty, she gets tossed from red lobster for brining her own crabs. Even roaches put slippers on at your house. Your women nicknamed bike cuz everyone rides her.
Oh my, third grade was fun. Do some more Archie. Please. Right after you explain gays and hot dog roasts.
Hot dogs remind the fags of dicks probably. I didn’t write the joke. How about , your mama’s so fat she wore yellow pants to the airport and two men jumped in the pockets thinking she was a taxi. Your mamma’s so fat I rolled over twice and was still on her. Or ask how’s your no good dad? Answer, that’s a dirty crack. Ok speaking of dirty cracks how’s your wife? And on and on. Tell a black guy that you like his black loafers. And speaking of black loafers how’s your brother?
Ah, thanks Jim, I get it. And twice as funny, since you are dickless, it has no effect on you. Priceless.
Nice racist touch too, grabbed that one right out of your ole racist joke kit bag close at hand, eh.
No racism here. It’s blacks that I heard tell it. I treat blacks like they are regular people.
No racism here since I heard black comedians tell those jokes. I treat blacks like regular people.
You are probably too old for me to explain what a racist is and how you should change to avoid being one. Suffice it to say, most of your comments sound like a bad episode of All in the Family with you playing Archie. Not to mention, be real, no one has told that joke in a couple of decades.
And to have you set your moral compass based on what comedians say, It’s a sad choice you have made for yourself. I suggest a better choice as role model.
I really don’t care. I’m damned sick of people complaining about racism when very little of it exists in America and 95% comes from black people.
Mr. Wampler, it’s pretty obvious you don’t care, but really, blaming blacks for 95% of American racism is not only a lie, but a racist one. But if there is very little racism in America, and 95% of it comes from Blacks, then you are very special.
Horist is not a conservative on this, not a Trumplicant, he appears to be a classic hawk and has not seen a war he does not want to escalate. Don’t want to listen to him, but like his keeping us honest brokers in the variety of wars we get into. If you don’t drop the big one, hawks like Horist call you “Neville Chamberlains” I never knew Chamberlain to advocate war and send so many weapons, convince so many NATO nations to do so too, to an active war zone. Did Neville advocate that? Or is there never enough war?
He calls Ukraine an existential threat to America as if Ukraine falls, like America’s existence is next. That is just blatantly not true; he should pull back a bit on his hawkish rhetoric. They haven’t blown our doors off after we pulled from Afghanistan either. However, beyond his feckless hyperbolic chest trumping, I do think we should not and cannot let Ukraine fall. That does not mean our boots on the ground or any other gauntlet tossed directly against a nuclear nation. Let’s continue to pull a Reagan and spend them into the ground. The Ukrainians are not the Afghans. The Ukrainians like democracy and are willing to fight. We don’t have to nation-shape them after the war. Even if Trump’s Roger Stone and Paul Manafort worked with Russia against Ukraine and Trump called Putin’s invasion “savvy,” the Ukrainians have said “fuck you” to those guys and seem to be able to chart there own future democracy.
Horist queries: “So, why all the reticence in providing the necessary support for Ukraine to defeat Putin’s empire-building ambitions – and his existential threat to the United State? I do not know. It is beyond my comprehension.” Really? He just can’t see that attacking a nuclear nation might be somehow different than leveling the land of the Houthis? Blowing a few holes in Syria might be different? Just can’t see it huh? Beyond your comprehension? If this is such an existential threat, why were you not upset that Trump did nothing to take Crimea back?
He has his support: “Former Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko said that America’s minimal and delayed responses to military aid has sent a signal to Putin to “attack, ruin infrastructure and rampage” over Ukraine. He is not wrong.” OK, that’s fair. Let’s listen to a seemingly good guy, supporter of Democracy, who couldn’t get the job done himself in Ukraine. Worthy of the listen, but not sure I would follow Viktor or Neville.
He stipulates: “MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough often describes Russia as some pipsqueak nations with a small GDP – and the United States as the world’s leading and most powerful military. A Russian victory would invalidate that opinion. In fact, it has been increasingly invalided in recent years.” Wow, that’s an archaic wordsmithing: “invalided.” And yes, a Russian victory would increase their GDP, why do you think he does it? But that does not and will not change the FACT that Russia’s GDP is around 10th in the world, about on par with Italy depending on the price of oil, Russia’s economic one-trick pony and another reason to expand economically through force. Ukraine is about 50th in world gdp by country, war dependent, which when added to Russia, brings Russia up a few clicks which wouldn’t change our towering gdp status either.
The US GDP is TEN TIMES Russia’s. Ten times. We play in another world, economically. We spent them into the ground under Reagan. We can do it again under Biden. We need to save Ukraine, cannot lose it for reasons Horist notes and more. But I would like to avoid our boots on the ground, or on the sea, in the air, if possible. I also would like to see us continue to escalate. Cautiously. But realize when you invoke a no fly, or put boots on the ground, you have thrown the gauntlet on a nuclear nation that could pull the nuclear option. We should not attack Russia. They are a nuclear nation gone rogue building 1,800 tactical nukes not covered by any arms agreement. A lot of them are on trucks, some close to Ukraine by now. We don’t need to curb stomp them, we can economically strangle them and watch them choke on their own economic vomit.
We have 280 tactical nukes, all placed near and aimed at Russia because of that. Tactical nukes have never been used and will probably herald the next nuclear world war. Why? Because some dumb shithead will think: “the goal is the TOTAL defeat of Putin in Ukraine” and that he can get away with a limited tactical nuclear war. But if we let the big one go, we will change the Earth and all of it’s visitors forever. And not in a good way.
I say: stay the course with prudent escalations. Try everything you can before you throw the gauntlet with a no-fly or Americans participating in the fighting. I do not think there is an off-ramp for Putin until Putin’s people put him in his place if we can continue to drain his resources to make life unbearable under his regime. Therefore, I am more worried about what Putin does in China than his moves in Ukraine. Because China DOES have gdp and economic strength rivaling ours.
Lastly: blame Biden for Ukraine. Blame Obama for Crimea. But what did Trump do to make any of this better? Whatever it was, it did not work, it did not get better, and the worm turned the day Don stepped down as if in support of his loss and dream to regain the throne. So, whatever he did or did not do, it did not work, nor last.
So, thanks Horist for keeping us honest, you can pull up a bit on the hawkish end-of-America rhetoric, yes, would like to continue the escalation, just slower than you and, so far —— Ukraine is doing the impossible, standing firm where we all said “no way.” Give Biden credit for that, at least.
Some of my friends are colored. So who’s racist now? I even have let them in my house and didn’t get robbed. But my cousin is married to a black man. But we included him in family functions. He’s even learned to act white. And he’s never been arrested!!!!!!! And he’s given us a promise to vote for Trump. Someone in the family will observe him while he’s voting. Keep him honest. We finally started allowing him to sit with us in restaurants and church. And he thanks us for all of the kindness towards him. They might even have some cute mulatto kids.
Archie from the bunker, do you even hear yourself? “Some of my friends are colored. So, who’ racist now?” You are. And the rest of your spew is so racist.
“But my cousin…..married….black” But? Like a bad thing? Was it because growing up she saw all your dicks and decided she had to have the real thing? And now you are terrified having Mandingo in your house.
“But we included him in family functions” My, that’s BIG of you.
“He’s even learned to act white.” what does that even mean?
“And he’s never been arrested!!!!!!!” but the rest of your white trash family has been, no doubt
“Someone in the family will observe him while he’s voting. Keep him honest.” Yeah, right.
“We finally started allowing him to sit with us in restaurants and church. And he thanks us for all of the kindness towards him.” like “thank you massa?”
“They might even have some cute mulatto kids.” Mulatto — it’s so nice you have different names for different colors. I think yours is: ASSHOLE because whenever you open your mouth, bullshit excrement comes out.
Fact is you are totally lying here just to incite a little text talk. You don’t have blacks in your family, you don’t have black friends, and you just like to go postal when you can hide behind your screen.
LMAO Frank. I threw out some tongue in cheek humor and you swallowed it like a big black dick. None of that shit was true. Yes, we have biracial marriage in our family but nobody cares. The guy even helped me draft my earlier post to you. You are a real gullible dumb ass. It’s no wonder that you keep your nose up the democrats ass. Maybe your daughter has see what a real dick looks like. lol. And maybe you folks are a black family. Who cares?
“LMAO Frank. I threw out some tongue in cheek humor and you swallowed it like a big black dick. None of that shit was true.” Like you wrote that before you read my response or just had to print it anyways because “you are a real gullible dumb ass,” in your own words to miss my words: “ASSHOLE because whenever you open your mouth, bullshit excrement comes out. Fact is you are totally lying here just to incite a little text talk. You don’t have blacks in your family, you don’t have black friends, and you just like to go postal when you can hide behind your screen.”
It wasn’t funny, tongue n cheek, and never will be. Racism is serious and never humorous. Racists are pigs to be treated accordingly. Pig.
Now, as far as your insulting my daughter that does not exist, why would you go after another guy’s daughter? Are you anonymously picking a fight with another anonymous guy? That’s so Trumpian of you. I just love a guy hiding behind his screen saying things he would never dare to say to another man in person. Real tough guy. Real man.
But on this “tongue n cheek” scam, you were BUSTED, in writing, before you even printed the punchline.
And you are still a racist, and your ” biracial marriage in our family but nobody cares. The guy even helped me draft my earlier post to you” knows you are a racist too, trust me. He just grin-fucks you because he likes your sister that much. They are laughing at you behind your back, trust me, you are grin-fucked. They know the truth that in today’s world, racists are losers than don’t get far except in their own little, shrinking, shitty worlds with no hope of redemption.
Write a bible for christ sakes. Boring, Boring, Boring.
S O S. Same old excrement!
Admit it Frank. You have been hooked. And it was my black relatives idea to spoof you. And no, I wouldn’t insult your daughter to your face. I might get my ass kicked. That’s never any fun. And you post shit that you wouldn’t say in public unless surrounded by democrats. But I do wear my MAGA cap in public. You’re so afraid that people are out to get people of color. Want racial peace? Shut up about it. I don’t see anyone trying to do anything to black people. So you really should have a sense of humor and laugh at my prank.
Learn to read; I immediately called you a liar on your comments,you only fooled yourself.
And no. I skip Trump talk in public. I live in Trump country and you people really don’t have a sense of humor.
And racism is not a joke. Never will be. That I do call out wherever I se it. That one is worth it.
Reading comprehension is not your forte.
Well enjoy your neighborhood watch and keep rooting out the racism amongst the neighbors. And be sure to start with the democrats. You people are the ones claiming that blacks are too stupid to vote and/or have voter ID. No wonder more of the blacks are jumping ship The rest probably are stupid.
Archie, you make a lot of false assumptions based on your stereotyping your world. I do not have a neighborhood watch, nor many neighbors. I live in Trump country, and there are not many blacks either. A lot of latinos recently, the indigenous species is upset. I am not sure who “you people” is but if you mean Democrat, then have never claimed blacks are too stupid to vote. BUSTED.