It Didn't Have to Come to This!

 My, the Kremlin has been busy today. Let's go back a few days though.  Sweden and Finland are both tidying up their internal business so they can join NATO.  Probably a wise decision since Putin has now declared that World War 3 has begun.

Then the Ukrainians blew up a Russian ship.  First Russia denied it, then turned around and admitted it. Uh oh.  This is not good.  Never mind that the ship was in Ukrainian waters and shelling Ukrainian territory. I suppose to Putin's way of thinking, blowing up his ship was an escalation of the war. Whatever he thinks, this was an embarrassing loss for the Russians.

Now he's threatening the use of nuclear weapons. It's anyone's guess who will be on the receiving end, but you can be sure the first will be Ukraine. After all, people are escalating the war he started!

The bluster is now in high dudgeon. Putin has warned Sweden and Finland against joining NATO. He has told us to stop supplying weapons, and who knows what else since I turned off the news a while ago.

Will Biden get a backbone or will he cave to Putin's demands? This could have been avoided if we had given the Ukrainians what they needed in anticipation of the invasion.  I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know something evil was afoot when the Russians were amassing forces on the Ukrainian border. A training exercise?  In a country the size of Russia, they hardly had to go to the border of a neighboring country to hold exercises.

Who knows where this is going to go and how fast.  I still wonder about two things.  One, how did Putin get inside the head of our President that in essence paralyzed him from doing what was right. Especially since there isn't much in his head, to begin with. It isn't his fault. I know that, but to think he has his finger inches away from our own nuclear button scares the hell out of me!

Two, if Putin didn't get in Joe's head, what does he have on Joe and/or his family? I've wondered about that on this blog before. Whichever, it does not bode well for the world.

I suppose the agonizing over which of our high-level officials is going to be sent to Ukraine to show that we can play like the big boys like Boris Johnson. I heard speculation it might be Kamala Harris. It may be more shrewd than I think. They could let their guard down while listening to her laugh about the death and destruction that will surround her. Or, they could lose their concentration while waiting for her to string together enough words to make a cognizant sentence.

This is not a happy post for Good Friday. It is made even sadder to think the Ukranians will not be decorating their spectacular Easter eggs this season. I can only hope they know that the American people are behind them even if our government isn't.

Biden's and the World's Bloody Hands

Moral indignation, my foot! How can anyone, even a politician, claim to have moral indignation yet turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening in Ukraine by the Russians?  And how in the world, can we be using Russia to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran?  This whole administration needs a sanity check.

Actually, Biden isn't alone.  For some reason, this mentally feeble old man seems to have the entire free world cowed when it comes to giving the necessary weapons to Ukraine.  Why is that?  There but for the grace of God is all of them! They will be there if Ukraine loses. In the name of God, give the Ukrainians the MIGs! 

Oh, how I wish at least one of the six or so people who read this blog had the ear of someone with a degree of sanity along with some power in this administration. Could he possibly, really want Putin to win?

When Biden stated Putin should be removed, well, so should he.  Unfortunately, the two in immediate succession are as bad as he is.  Have you ever heard Kamala Harris utter a comprehensible sentence?  Have you heard a coherent utterance from Nancy Pelosi of late? It's downright frightening and depressing that these are the leaders of our country.  Elected by us, no less.

In case you think my argument about age-related acuity is blowing smoke, let me suggest this. Seek out someone 80 years of age plus or minus a year or so. Sit down and have a chat with them.  Look for how many times they have to stop and search for a word or a name.  It will happen. Watch to see if while you're speaking or looking at something on your phone or computer together, they nod off.  It will happen. If you ask them about it, they'll deny it. Guaranteed. Watch what time of day their energy begins to fade and what time they retire.  It's part of the aging process.

People like this have no business trying to run a country.  They forget things if they even comprehended them in the first place.  Don't be fooled by the likes of Trump.  He may look like the Energizer Bunny next to Biden, but I guarantee you he will be suffering from the same lapses. Pair that with his ego, his bent for revenge and his being a lame duck from the get-go if re-elected, what would we be getting? No improvement, that's for sure.

It's time for the rest of the world, someone somewhere, to step forward and take control of the armament of Ukraine. Bear in mind that no weapon is a weapon of aggression when your homeland has been invaded. Remember, too, if you want to look at it this way, Ukraine is the only landmass that stands between eastern Europe and the Russians. If it falls, guess who will have tanks on their border waiting for the signal.

Don't forget the innocent civilians - the women who have been raped in front of their children and the children who have been slain, the men found dead with their hands taped behind them, dogs wantonly shot - for target practice? Civilians.

Putin has nothing to lose. He's finished in the eyes of the world. The rest of the 'free' world, including us, could be finished too if they/we don't stand up to him now. Or let the Ukranians do the job, they are at least willing, but for God's sake - give them the MIGs!

The Wicked and the Weak

 Don't trust either of these two men. Ever. 

One, Putin, is pure evil. I feel bad for the Russian people even though they have allowed him to hold power so long he's nearly impossible to remove.  Besides, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.  Whoever takes his place may be even worse though it's hard to imagine.

The second, of course, is our current President. A man so ensconced in corruption for the past 50 years it's hard to imagine why the people of Delaware kept returning him to the Senate. Now he is President. Another big why. His mental faculties are diminished at best, but as his Vice President recently said, we got what we voted for.

Wake up, people! For now, however, we are stuck. We're stuck with his utterances.  I do understand he could have been genuinely outraged by what Putin is doing to Ukraine. Somehow, though, due to his previous performances, I'm inclined to think it was off the cuff theater. Putting a voice to it could and should have been more politic, but with diminished capacity that's a lot to expect.

So we suffered through a lot of weak explanations and walk backs and the war rages on.  It was suggested today that this administration really doesn't want Russia to lose.  If true, why not? Is it a conspiracy theory that Putin has so much on Biden, Biden dares not push too hard? I think that is within the realm of possibility.

Otherwise, why are we still dithering over military aid to the Ukrainians and why don't we give them the planes they so desperately need? We're still urging Ukraine to make a settlement just as things have shifted slightly in their favor. Such actions do exactly instill confidence that the U.S. has their back. We don't and never have.

I'm wondering who would have our back if we needed it.  It will take years to rebuild the trust that has been squandered - if ever.  We've become so driven by hatred of the opposing party that every action of the presiding administration is to destroy everything the preceding one did whether or not it was good for the country.

This has to stop. The politicians aren't going to be the ones to do it.  We the people will have to step up to the plate and get it done. The politicians who hedge their bets, in both parties, lest they antagonize their campaign contributors, need to be removed from office.  Bye, bye. Retire.  Smell the roses.

The Democrats are mean-spirited and power-hungry and totally absurd.  The Republicans go along to get along and are afraid of their own shadow. It's losing those campaign funds that do trickle in even though they do little to deserve them.

Neither side has done much to help our country.  Biden has one of the most amateurish and incapable Cabinets I've ever seen. Trump had some outstanding people in this Cabinet but they tired of his mercurial moods and methods and left.

Both Biden and Trump have indicated they would like to run. Both would be lame-duck presidents.  Get some new, younger blood in there!

And Putin? If he wins this one, he'll still be lurking around the edges waiting for an opening.  He'll be licking his wounds, but they'll heal and he'll be ready to resume his initial and only goal - to re-create Mother Russia.

If that happens the carnage will not stop. For the love of decency and humanity, give Ukraine the planes and the weapons they need. They aren't asking anyone else to do the fighting for them, they're just asking for what is needed to get it done. Defeat Putin.

What Exactly is a War Crime?

 Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine there has been a lot of terminologies tossed about, much of which has little meaning.

Now that Biden is in Brussels for some face-to-face encounters, I'm wondering if there will be any meat to the rhetoric that will emerge.

I doubt it. I'm convinced that Russia, China, and Ukraine all have something on Joe he does not want to be revealed.  To find out what I guess you'd have to ask Hunter.  Or actually investigate what is on his laptop.

That's the reason I've come up with to explain Biden's reluctance to give more help to the Ukranians. One of the terms bandied about quite a bit is that "it may lead to world war three" or another favorite, "It might be considered escalatory".  This is why we've been slow to provide the aid needed and have stopped members of NATO from picking up the slack. I do wonder why Biden has veto power over the other member nations, or are they just hiding behind his reluctance so they don't have to act? Who knows. War makes strange bedfellows.

I see all of the finger-wagging and foot-dragging as war crimes too. Think about it.  The Ukrainian people did nothing to invite the demolition of their country.  Is not sitting by and letting it happen not a war crime?

The most recent term is that Putin has committed war crimes by targeting civilians, civilian structures, and aid routes.  What do you think? Of course, he has.  But, wasn't the invasion of a sovereign nation also a war crime?

Words and finger-wagging while innocent people are being annihilated is a war crime. Period.  Full stop. The only innocents in this atrocity are the Ukrainian people.

What Price Escalatory?

 

An item on the news last evening made me laugh before sending a chill down my spine. A Russian official has demanded we return Alaska; no matter that it was bought and paid for. Return Alaska?? Really?

It made me think. What if Russia invaded Alaska to destroy our oil reserves, say. And we were having a hard time because we didn't have what was needed to drive them back. We asked Canada for help - munitions, guns, food, sanctuary for Alaskan residents, and maybe even planes no longer in use. Canada drags its feet while Alaska is being decimated because any help they might give could be considered escalatory and would bring upon them the possibility of World War III.

Sound ridiculous? Maybe.

This morning I watched an interview with a very frustrated man asking if writing a check for aid wasn't just as escalatory only on a different scale? His conclusion was that it should be considered such. Is the fact that we're sending Ukraine weaponry not as escalatory as allowing planes to be delivered by other than the U.S.? World War III is most likely not in Putin's game plan because he, too, would be destroyed and his mission of resuscitating the old Soviet Union would be gone forever. He would have failed.  He'd not like that to be his legacy.

So what else could be happening? Why is Biden, the weakest link in NATO, holding up aircraft that Ukrainian pilots are perfectly capable of flying? Why does he toss "escalatory" around with abandon while Ukraine is being destroyed?  Never mind why the other countries are bowing to him.  That's another subject for another day.

I'm going to put on my conspiracy theory hat and suggest this.  We know that the Bidens had deep ties with both Ukraine and Russia when Ukraine was under a Russian puppet government.  We know Biden's brother and son, Hunter, held undue influence and received obscene amounts of money in return for access to Biden while he was Vice President.

My question is this. Just what does Putin have on Biden that we don't know? Is it, heaven forbid, possible Biden wants Ukraine destroyed so that any evidence that might remain in that country is destroyed? Destroyed so that Putin cannot resurrect it to use against Biden?

Oh, my, this has been an exercise in what-ifs. Or could there be a modicum of truth in the suggestion?

The Measure of a People

President Zelenskyy was not the most popular of Presidents when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. That turned instantaneously when asked if he needed a ride to safety and his reply was he didn't need a ride, he needed ammunition.

That, my friends, is the measure of a leader. He has done nothing but enhance his image ever since.

Now, what about the Ukrainian people? Right or wrong, I often judge people by how they treat animals in general and pets in particular. If they don't like animals I doubt I'm going to like them.

The news clips I can't escape have shown hundreds and hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing their country with little more than a backpack and, yes, their pets. Everyone from the tiniest of children to the elderly. 

Pair that with both the men and women who have stayed to fight and you have a people worthy of the admiration, and yes, the staunchest of support, from the world. Why are they not getting it?

Well, take a look around at the hand wringing of the world's leadership.  Heaven forbid we should irritate Putin. It might escalate the war. I don't think the Ukranians want to hear it.  They're losing the country they love chunk by bloody chunk with every day that passes. 

Do our leaders really believe Putin will stop with Ukraine? One thing he is known for is telegraphing his intentions. We knew this is coming.  We also know the Baltics are next. And NATO. 

If I were a young man and able, I think I would probably join the Ukrainian cause. Even if in reality it would be tilting at windmills. Putin's wars have to stop. If our leaders don't have the moral courage to do so, may the people have the strength. 

If someone doesn't come forward, and soon, we too shall be hit one way or another.  All because we're afraid of one man.  What's wrong with us?

Nickle and Diming Putin

 This is pretty much how I feel after having watched the evening news reports on the war in Ukraine. I know, I've been harping on it for a while now and I still don't get it.

Get what? Why do the U.S. and NATO continue the threat of the WWIII narrative?  I, of course, don't know for sure, but here's my take.

Putin will not go into his nuclear arsenal to attack us.  He knows full well that if he does, he too will be attacked and we would all be obliterated.  This is not his game plan.  He cannot rebuild the old Soviet Union if he is dead.

He may unleash chemical weapons on the Ukranians if the war continues to go against him.  Should that happen I can't help but wonder if we will hide behind even more sanctions that seem to be hurting us more than him while at the same time turning his people against us.

Why can't we quit huffing and puffing and step up to the plate? Determine what the Ukranians need to give them an advantage and get it to them.  Get them the planes they need. Get them the ammunition they need and the arms. And quit blaming others for our lack of action.

How can our leadership sit by and watch this carnage and do little more than posture?  And lie. Yes. Lie. They seem to forget that we are watching this war unfold in real-time.  We're watching the shelling destroy homes.  We're seeing the bodies lying dead in the streets. We're watching millions of people trying to flee.

This is a war that didn't have to happen. I just wonder what more is in it for our leadership than what Hunter Biden and his Uncle have already brought home for family and friends. 

It disgraces the United States of America and us.  You.  Me. We deserve better and so does the world. 

November can't get here soon enough. And remember, both parties need to purge their leadership and start over again. This should be a bipartisan effort because neither side deserves the following they have so far duped.

Yes. I'm old and I'm tired.  Tired of war to be sure. And even more tired of politics as usual.

Think About It

 I've been thinking a lot lately.  Mostly about questions for which I have no answers.  It is very frustrating.

One subject that is at the forefront of the current dialog.  If we create a  no-fly zone over Ukraine we will start World War III. This seems to mean that Putin will unleash his arsenal of nuclear bombs on the western world.

Would he really do that?  Would it not mean instant retaliation?  And, if we lose wouldn't he? Therefore, why would he do it? Or is it weak rational the west for doing nothing?

Two. If we open up drilling again it would delay our march toward ending fossil fuels. Well, let's look at this.  First of all, clean energy just isn't ready for prime time and until it is - well,  government dictates are what's hurting the American people. Plus, just because there are a lot of oil leases out there, they may well have been explored and found to be non-productive.

Three. If we lived in a fossil-free world, would it really prevent bad actors from attacking whomever they please? I'm thinking not. First, all those battery-powered vehicles will need to be charged. What do you charge them with? Electricity.  How do you get electricity? Even if it's generated with green energy, sophisticated hackers are more than capable of shutting down the grids - not to mention old Mother Nature.

I don't know.  I've got an appointment so I'm putting my thoughts on hold for a while. Something else to think about while I'm gone, however. What can we do to stop this madness NOW? There are things but world leaders just don't want to take any chances. "Tsk. Tsk. We can't do that. It may anger Putin."

Tough. I'm already paying the price I'm told is coming.  I can't afford groceries or gas to get out and get them. 

Think about it.

An Elephant in the Room

There is an elephant in the room and it's not a Republican. It's a nation. Ukraine.

I would have thought, at one time, the United States would have been the last country in the world to not stand by the Ukrainian people. That hasn't been true for longer than I care to remember.

We seem to always be the last ones to arrive at the party if we show up at all. I won't bother going all the way back in history. Let's just go back to Chechnya when the Russians were making short order of them.

We did nothing. Or maybe more in recent memory, Syria, when Russia was dropping chemicals on civilians. We did nothing.  Or most recently in Afghanistan where hundreds if not thousands of Americans and our allies were deserted behind enemy lines. We did nothing. 

 So here we are watching the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians.  What are we doing? Little more than nothing.  Well, we are wringing our hands, fearing we might offend Putin and that might lead to an even bigger and bloodier war.  How much more bloody can it get?

Yes.  I am an angry, disgusted, old lady who has been listening to those cursed sound bites again. But there is truth to a great many of them.

About that elephant. It's said elephants never forget. I don't know if that's true or not, but let's assume for the sake of argument that it is. Our government is not the elephant, or if it is, it's the poorest excuse for one there could be. No. The ones who will never forget the U.S. wasn't there for them this time are the Ukrainians. Maybe, too, the reason why the lion of peace in Europe, NATO, hasn't been instilled with courage from the Wizard is that they have no faith we would be there for them, either, should the need arise.

They're good at hand ringing, we're good at hand wringing and we're all in the same room.  Right there with that elephant. 

Somehow I don't see our stellar Vice President going to Poland bolstering their confidence in the United States at all. I'd consider it an insult that the U.S. would send someone so feckless.

Elephants are a herd animal. They have family units that warm your heart, they're exploited by the stronger and more sinister among us - they're very much like we, the people. An awful lot of us are in that room with the Ukranians and we will not forget. At least I hope we won't. I know I won't.

The Ball and Chain of Fear

 Which of these figures best reflects the United States of America. The one on the right if you're considering the people.  The one on the left if you're considering our leadership.

I don't know how our leaders can look themselves in the mirror and feel the virtue they spout while millions are dying in Ukraine. I am so tired of hearing we can't do more for fear of starting WW III. What sort of world do we have now when political self-interest trumps doing what's right. I've been witness to too many wars since instant transmission of images has become the norm.  No tape delay.  Live-action, happening now.

Most recently was Afghanistan. Now it's Ukraine. If I hear a pundit telling a Ukrainian  that a no-fly zone can't be set up because it could lead to WWIII one more time I think I'll scream. First, it's not for a pundit to say.  Plus, I think "could" is the keyword here. Does Russia really want to deal with the aftermath of a nuclear war?  Or China? I should think no more so than we or the rest of the world.

Do we so lack confidence in our ability to prevail that we're willing to let Russia annihilate one more country on his March to the Atlantic? Why do we allow faulty policy justify continuing to buy oil from Russia as the war in Ukraine rages? Why do we insist on funding Russia's war effort?

What kind of people are these who supposedly run the free world? We know the kind who run Russia and China.  I never thought I'd equate ours with them.

I live, as do most of us, in a world of sound bites.  We hear that Ukraine is a corrupt nation. It was at one time to be sure.  Just look at Hunter Biden's dealings with them and the enrichment of the Biden family that followed. Is it still true? Perhaps to a degree.  I don't know. They do have a different president.  One who is standing with his people. To the people of Ukraine he is their rallying point and a reflection of their resolve. 

On that point, finger pointing would be like the pot calling the kettle black. There is way too much corruption in today's politics. No matter where. But it's the people who suffer through no fault of their own other than country of birth. Especially in the grasp of dictatorships where they have no say in government.

It isn't supposed to be like that here.  We do bear a great deal of responsibility for what happens because we put these people into their positions of power. 

The Ukrarian people don't have a lot of time to overcome without substantial help from the rest of the world. We do. We have elections coming up in a few short months.  We can't throw all the bums out in one fell swoop, but we sure as heck can start. Lest we find ourselves at the mercy of cruel dictators on our own soil, let's hope we do.

War. Why?

 This is one heck of a time to return to my blog. 

Just as I was allowing myself to think things in the world were getting better, with the downward trend of Covid and the politics beginning to bite those who put those politics above our collective well-being,  we are watching a brutal and senseless war.

If there was ever a time to think new generations of leadership are called for, it should be now. Especially in this country where those who hold the most power are my age or older.  I'd like to think I'm still pretty able and that my mind is relatively intact.  That being said, I still find myself wondering why I opened the pantry or where I left my car keys. I am rash enough to know that if I had ever had the mental acuity to run a country, I no longer do.  Nor do those who are currently in power. I'm sorry, but there comes a time when one should gracefully retire from the headiness of power and go enjoy your grandkids. Of course, it's not the nature of such a beast.

Then we look at Mr. Putin.  He's 69, so he's getting up there.  It seems he's living in a different age.  War is abhorrent to most of the world. Especially a shooting war such as he has now undertaken in Ukraine.  There are so many more sophisticated ways to bend wills this day and age other than to destroy an entire population who wanted no part of it to begin with.

So where are we in this conflict?  Granted, there is a lot I don't know, but it would appear we're sitting on the sideline while the rest of the world is making an effort to stop this bloodshed before it worsens. Where once we would be leading, we're not even following.  At least not with much vigor.

There are exceptions to the youth as leadership rules of course.  Justin Trudeau is a good example of this. I see the same fault lines with the far left progressives in this country who aren't even old enough to be president dictating much of the narrative.

I don't know how much this concerns friends who are my peers.  I don't really discuss it.  I try to spend my time pursuing things that make me happy.  Slobbers and his stories.  Photography. The simple things I enjoy that make life worth living. Then I turn on the news and there is nothing but doom and gloom of one type or another. Our own border issues, rampaging drug issues, inflation, and the unnecessary causes of it. It's depressing, to say the least.

I had hoped shooting wars were pretty much a thing of the past after our dismally conducted departure from Afghanistan, but of course, I was wrong. There will always be those who think the sword is mightier than the pen. 

I for one, however, will always choose the pen. Until I'm canceled. With a bit of luck, if that should happen, I hope it's by a power mightier than social media.

Has Putin Over Reached Once Too Often?

My, oh my.  We've watched this man make mince meat of Obama over the past several years.  Each time you could see the smirk broaden and the swagger get more pronounced.

He and his allies - Iran, China, Syria and North Korea were truly enjoying themselves. But as happens with a lot of bullies, they get over confident and suddenly everything around them collapses.

I'm wondering if this is the case with the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet. With the death of so may people having no part in his fun and games, it's a huge oops. You'd think he'd have taught his thugs how to properly use their new toys. Another sign of over confidence?

Maybe some good will come out of it.  Sure, our president has stated his indignation and demanded Vlad stop supplying his rebels in Ukraine with weapons.  Like every one of late, he'll ignore it.  But now the rest of the world has to stand up and let their outrage be known.  It isn't easy for them to do  without the U.S. leading the way.  We've been the leader for so long they don't  know how to do anything but follow.  That used to be the power of America and we used it for good, not entertainment or expansionist dreams.

The question that remains is whether or not they will.  Will they be smart enough to join in economic sanctions strong enough to really hurt even if it causes them some temporary pain or will they continue to waffle?  They must remember the United States won't be there to help.  If they don't learn to cope without us their demise is only a matter of time.

It isn't hopeful.  With Kerry lecturing Israel on killing Palestinian civilians while they've done everything humanly possible to forewarn them of pending attacks, the world knows this man and the policies he stands for are out of touch with reality.

It does no good to lecture about how things are done in the 21st century while the world is still mired in the 20th.  When it comes to foreign policy it would seem we're the only country in the 21st century and we certainly haven't been effective in bringing the rest along. Maybe they realize that to go along to get along isn't really a policy no matter what century.  It's appeasement.

They need leadership, not lectures.  There is a difference.

There Will Always Be Bullies

Russia is a bully.  It always has been and I expect always will be as long as people like Putin can hold on to power.

I've been watching the Ukraine incident unfold with this in mind.  I think back to  West Side Story where the two gangs, the Sharks and the Jets,  go after one another and one lone young man, the hero Tony, tries to bridge the gap.  He ends up dead.  Mostly because he didn't have the tools to quell the gangs.

Today's conflicts aren't much different.  Our Secretary of State can preach to the Russians, or any of our other adversaries, about how they're behaving in an outmoded manner all he wants.  The reason why they thumb their nose at him and our President is because neither has the will nor the tools to have any clout.

One reader seems to think every time I write along these lines I'm advocating war.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I am advocating being able to go to war as a last result if necessary. An ability to show strength that  gives those adversaries pause. With the Defense Department cutting the Pentagon budgets to the extent they are, they're diminishing that deterrent.

In an ideal world negotiating would work.  Everyone would get something and life would go on.  We can't even do that within our own government.  Why should the world follow our rhetoric on an  grander scale knowing we have no will to lead?

Putin doesn't care which decade his behavior is most reminiscent of.  He knows there is no will to stop him nor the ability.  He will continue on until he gets bored, take a rest then get back to it.  Whatever 'it' may suit his fancy.

Also in an ideal world there would be at least one other player who has the tools to stop him yet chooses not to utilize those tools unless the need is dire.  That role used to be filled by the United States.  I think it really began changing when Bush went into Iraq.  I remain furious with him for that action.  The U.S. doesn't start wars.  It ends them.  Pair that now with a pacifist detachment from all that goes on outside our borders it has done nothing but embolden bullies of all stripes.

The Europeans are of no help because they have done what we're about to do - allow our lust for spending overpower good sense and put the economy at  even more peril than its already at.  They've become beholden to the Russians for life sustaining gas.  They're strong trading partners just as they are with Iran.  With Russia pulling the strings.

We're like Tony now.  We no longer have the tools.  The waffling from the President makes him no one to fear.  The weakness of our allies make them no one to fear.  And the bully rules.

As in other parts of the world, there will be those who will try to step up to the plate.  It will probably be students.  Bored, lack of opportunities, tired of sacrificing for the selfishness and corruption of their leaders. Without the counterweight to the bullies they will not succeed.  Look at Iran.  Look at what had once been feasible in Syria until we dithered it away.  How many others?

Will the pendulum ever swing back?  I don't anticipate it in my lifetime.  The Republicans in our area, which is small town conservative America, can't even get their heads together on what they represent.  The Democrats are facing similar problems.  Those defecting from their ranks are doing so to save their careers, not because a policy is just plain wrong.

Grass roots.  It begins there.  Left unchecked you get what we have today.  The bully that will always be, will continue to win.

We Could Kick Putin Off The Cat Bird Seat

We won't but we could.  We could do to Russia exactly whet they've  scolded us for doing to other rogue countries like Iran and Syria.  Impose sanctions and freeze their assets.

If Putin can't sell his gas and oil at exhorbinant prices to countries like Ukraine, his budget dries up. He can't mount continuous aggression without it so he needs to get his former satellites while the getting is good.

We could go back and build the missile defense systems for the Czechs and Pols that we canceled thinking it would help the misspelled reset button from when Obama first took office.  Didn't anyone see the handwriting on the wall from that one?

We could freeze the assets of Russians in this country. And of companies and countries doing business with both Russia and the U.S.

This doesn't put one military boot on the ground.  We don't need NATO or UN approval. We can make hell freeze over.

Unfortunately I've not seen nor heard the will to do anything more than what the Russians do so well.  Scold.  The problem is, we bow our heads and slink away. They laugh like the bullies they are and take advantage of the situation.

They'll win if not challenged.  If we don't, who will?  We're needed.  Why is it we're absent without leave?  Or in more precise terms - deserters?

Sochi - The Little Big Man's Powder Keg

How long has it been since you've watched a newscast or opened a paper and not seen something relating to Vladimir Putin?  A while I would wager.  Especially with the Olympics just around the corner.

Here is a small man with a huge ego who never flinches in the face of publicity.  We know how much he enjoyed being the our savior in the face of possible military action in Syria.  That was great.   He saved Assad and condemned thousands more Syrians to death.  But at least it wasn't by chemical weapon.

Next came his intervention on behalf of Iran and their non-nuclear program.  He has no problem with it because by being on their side Russia will be safe as a reward for stepping up for Iran.

I'm wondering, however, if he might have taken a step too far.  There are Muslim nations or near nations that want no part of him.  The Ukrainians are mightily displeased with their leader who turned away from Europe in favor of Russia. My crystal ball shows a lot of bloodshed ahead for them.

Then there are the Chechnyans who really want no part of him.  Those gutsy folks are taking it beyond the usual street skirmishes of disapproval.  They're setting off bombs and each time they're getting ever closer to Sochi, the remote city that is home to the soon to be Olympics.

One thing I will bet on is that Putin will not recoup his investment in the games.  Not with western countries suggesting we not go.  If we listen, no big bucks for Putin.  And what person with an ounce of brain power would want to go to Russia anyway?  Not the gays, be sure of that!

What happens now.  Are the Chechnyans doing this just to toy with Putin?  I don't think so.  They know he's not easy.  Does that mean they have a plan to create total chaos and bring the games and therefore Putin to his knees?  I'd like to think not because when it comes to innocent deaths this would be a hallmark. There would be no good guy in the conflict other than the innocent victims who happen to be in the way.

I don't know that Russia throwing all it's military might into security for the games can really keep the dedicated and stealthy terrorist at bay.  I hope he can.

If he is not successful, it will bring him down.  No more strutting nor smirking.  The wrath of the entire world would ensue. It wouldn't be all bad.

On the other hand, could the Chechnyans live with themselves for their part in it?  Civilized people would say no.  But these people are Muslim radicals just like the ones we fight in the middle east.  My guess is they'd never blink an eye.

Anyone else have a thought?

Op-Eds And Spin

Have you been following the flap over Putin's op-ed piece  in the NY Times? The one where he takes Obama to task for just about everything and makes himself out to be the greatest being ever to take an interest in the happenings in the Middle East?

Considering everything he said, most of what seems to irritate the pundits is the last paragraph where he in no uncertain terms parrots what Obama has said before, that we are not an exceptional people.  In many respects I can't disagree with what he sees because our exceptionalism has gotten lost in petty politics and those we've elected to engage in them.  In that arena we certainly are exceptional! On too many levels!

The next most irritating thing about the article was that the Times printed it. Frankly, I'm glad they did and that they were correct in so doing. We as Americans need to be aware of the propaganda  about us that is being spewed by the likes of Putin.  How else will we gain any insight into how others view us.  If what he says makes you angry, consider why.

The New York Post has even printed a tutorial for you. They've taken his piece and translated it into far more likely intent. It isn't flattering to say the least.

It's interesting to me that an American PR firm, Ketchem, has Russia as a client and makes an exceptional amount of money as such.  It's also true that Putin is not fluent in English and no doubt had help in polishing what he wanted to say.  It's discomforting in some way that an American company could make the villain look so darn good.

Having had a career in PR I can say Putin's piece is PR spin at it's best. And even though it's a spoof of sorts, the New York Post's piece nails the truth. Both have done Americans a public service.  Now, read them! And think about it.