Politics

I think Ukraine will end as the Winter War and the continuation of the same war
If we continue our present course of refusing to provide aid, that will be about as good as they can hope far short of a change in government in Moscow.
 
I stand corrected. Your right.
I fall in line more with James Madison on federal vs States rights.
So more often cite that as absolute instead of remembering there were opinions 180 out
And I am an absolute Federalist. Perhaps it is because I grew up in the corrupt political environment of Louisiana politics.
 
I just listened to the Putin interview with Tucker Carlson this morning. It's the first time I listened to Putin speak for 2 hours.

My initial reaction wasn't to even evaluate fact from reasoned opinion from propaganda and outright lies. My first reaction was that we're a nation run by imbeciles. Putin was cogent, articulate, communicated his views in educated adult terms, and built his arguments on logical foundations.

All this was in the contrast of our politicians and presidents that cannot articulate complex topics in a reasonable fashion. The last time I heard a head of State trying to raise the IQ of the audience in this fashion was Reagan.

Damn have we voted in idiots in this country. I need to spend the next few days and actually break down the facts from the lies in Putin's interview, but regardless of my future opinions, I left ashamed in the elected politicians of my country by contrast.
 
But as you know.
that’s the benefit of the federalist papers and the federal government not making all states the same and holding sway in the most important areas.

Is that if you don’t like the way things are running one state, you’re free to move to another. if the federal government had its way, they would all be the same under federal rule and you’d have no escape.
 
I just listened to the Putin interview with Tucker Carlson this morning. It's the first time I listened to Putin speak for 2 hours.

My initial reaction wasn't to even evaluate fact from reasoned opinion from propaganda and outright lies. My first reaction was that we're a nation run by imbeciles. Putin was cogent, articulate, communicated his views in educated adult terms, and built his arguments on logical foundations.

All this was in the contrast of our politicians and presidents that cannot articulate complex topics in a reasonable fashion. The last time I heard a head of State trying to raise the IQ of the audience in this fashion was Reagan.

Damn have we voted in idiots in this country. I need to spend the next few days and actually break down the facts from the lies in Putin's interview, but regardless of my future opinions, I left ashamed in the elected politicians of my country by contrast.
His walk through history is one with which no historian outside Moscow university would remotely agree. In fact all have made a point to laugh at it. He conveniently ignores the fact that Ukraine has been an independent country for a generation and a half. By his logic, the Crimea should be returned to Turkey and I suppose California and Texas to Mexico or even Spain. The Mongolian President found the whole treatise so laughable that he couldn't resist trolling the little dictator and confused historian of the Kremlin.

Sadly, most Americans have studied no history - particularly eastern European or central Asian history. They find the musings of the Russian dictator compelling because they have absolutely no base of knowledge with which to challenge or compare it.


This is by the BBC and is a pretty good critique of Vladimir's revisionist history of Russia. It takes a bit of knowledge of European history to follow it, bit the liberties Putin employed are fairly obvious.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68255302
 
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Rook, you are over the target. Leaving out the fact if Putin is a good person or good for the world or not

Americans typically are so shallow. We vote on how a person looks
I actually agree with you. Americans are indeed shallow and woefully uneducated. They can listen to Putin spout his version of history, and have no educational basis to challenge it.
 
We need some great negotiators to help others come to an agreement and solve some major issues.

The U.S. homeland and border security

Israel, Palestine, Iran and Yemen

Russia and Ukraine

Humans have always thought things have never been worse. And disputes too large to solve.

History says otherwise. We just need to find the right people for the times.

All or many of these treaties and armistices below, Someone gave up something they didn’t agree with. Borders adjusted, or other reparations given.
Years after the war, when Israel didn’t have the money to house Jewish immigrants coming from around the world Germany gave Israel money to help resettlement and migration of Jews in the newly drawn boundaries.

We need a Kissinger


The way you wrote that, I was hearing 'We Didn't Start the Fire'/Billy Joel. Maybe he needs to do an updated version? :p
 
His walk through history is one with which no historian outside Moscow university would remotely agree. In fact all have made a point to laugh at it. He conveniently ignores the fact that Ukraine has been an independent country for a generation and a half. By his logic, the Crimea should be returned to Turkey and I suppose California and Texas to Mexico or even Spain. The Mongolian President found the whole treatise so laughable that he couldn't resist trolling the little dictator and confused historian of the Kremlin.

Sadly, most Americans have studied no history - particularly eastern European or central Asian history. They find the musings of the Russian dictator compelling because they have absolutely no base of knowledge with which to challenge or compare it.



You missed my point and went directly to the essence of his arguments being flawed. My point is his communication style was in stark contrast to the US presidents as of late. Putin's lies are more persuasive than US leadership's silence on alternative positions, our presidential rhetoric by comparison are idiotic taglines "shock and awe", "1000 points of light", "mission accomplished", "orange man bad", "China", "terrible deal".
 
You missed my point and went directly to the essence of his arguments being flawed. My point is his communication style was in stark contrast to the US presidents as of late. Putin's lies are more persuasive than US leadership's silence on alternative positions, our presidential rhetoric by comparison are idiotic taglines "shock and awe", "1000 points of light", "mission accomplished", "orange man bad", "China", "terrible deal".
My apologies, I did miss your point. You are correct, we haven't had leadership capable of that sort of clear articulation - whatever the facts - for a very long time. Since Reagan, sadly, the best was Obama. Even there his smug smartest kid in the room style did him few favors.

This is a good serious review of the interview and its implications by the Atlantic Council. Putin's assertions are indeed laughable, but he has been successful in convincing most of his countrymen of their aggrieved manifest destiny. He likely believes it himself. And unlike the West, his state controlled journalists and education system repeat the nonsense daily with no one to challenge it.

 
My apologies, I did miss your point. You are correct, we haven't had leadership capable of that sort of clear articulation - whatever the facts - for a very long time. Since Reagan, sadly, the best was Obama. Even there his smug smartest kid in the room did him few favors.

This is a good serious review of the interview and its implications by the Atlantic Council. Putin's assertions are indeed laughable, but he has been successful in convincing most of his countrymen of their aggrieved manifest destiny. He likely believes it himself. And unlike the West, his state controlled journalists and education system repeat the nonsense daily with no one to challenge it.



In my opinion, Tucker had in his hands the opportunity to get Putin to release the WSJ journalist and he blew it.

Tucker: give him back, it would be a favor and gesture.

Putin: we're all out of gestures. We need things to be reciprocal.

Tucker didn't say: You're speaking as a former intelligence officer, focused on quid pro quo as usual. This is a unique moment, you're speaking for the first time directly to the US citizens. This is your opportunity to take your diplomacy and intentions to 330 million people instead of haggling with the CIA. Make your first gesture to the US people and see if the US people demand reasonable reciprocity in the future. The WSJ reporter is a journalist and the US people cherish freedom of the press. You'll never win a heart or mind if your gestures don't support the values of the American people.
 
Seems to me Moscow has reason to take issue with NATO expansion eastward (including overt talk of bringing in Ukraine) after the implied promises made back in the 90s?

Or is all the talk of "not one inch eastward" Russian propaganda?
 
Seems to me Moscow has reason to take issue with NATO expansion eastward (including overt talk of bringing in Ukraine) after the implied promises made back in the 90s?

Or is all the talk of "not one inch eastward" Russian propaganda?
That logic however ignores the right of Ukraine to exercise self-determination. They are exercising the same right Sweden and Finland exercised last year. And by the way, Finland joining NATO is a far greater threat to Russian security than Ukraine ever would be. This is an attempt at naked conquest.
 
That logic however ignores the right of Ukraine to exercise self-determination. They are exercising the same right Sweden and Finland exercised last year. And by the way, Finland joining NATO is a far greater threat to Russian security than Ukraine ever would be. This is an attempt at naked conquest.
No doubt, self-determination should be considered.

But that does not alter the fact that if indeed US/NATO have gone back on our word regarding Eastward expansion, we could expect negative consequences?
 
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That logic however ignores the right of Ukraine to exercise self-determination. They are exercising the same right Sweden and Finland exercised last year. And by the way, Finland joining NATO is a far greater threat to Russian security than Ukraine ever would be. This is an attempt at naked conquest.


Practically speaking, when did the US or USSR allow self-determination of smaller countries? Our approach has been coercive for a very long period of time. The UK telling Zelinsky that he couldn't negotiate with Putin at the early stages of the war? Withholding foreign aid to Ukraine several years ago unless they fire the prosecutor pursuing Biden's crack-kid? Fruit companies causing US driven wars in central America?

We welched. We lied to Russia. We expanded NATO 5x. Was it wise in the long term to F around with a weak Russia? Probably. We have hegemony in Eastern Europe and we're buddies with the former Warsaw Pack club, so that's a win. But we're also liars now, so we did create a credibility problem for ourselves in the process.
 
Jimmy Carter could put three sentence together also. and was very intelligent. He just had bad policies and bad advice.

I think Professional Politicians need to talk in blurbs and bullet points. The public is so distracted and can’t concentrate longer than a few bullet points of info at one time. and it’s not getting any better.

Actually, I’d say the majority just prefer to be led around.
 
Jimmy Carter could put three sentence together also. and was very intelligent. He just had bad policies and bad advice.

I think Professional Politicians need to talk in blurbs and bullet points. The public is so distracted and can’t concentrate longer than a few bullet points of info at one time. and it’s not getting any better.

Actually, I’d say the majority just prefer to be led around.

Both parties have candidate school. (1) never give an answer that’s more than two minutes. (2) Always repeat your answer. (3) make your answer so a 5 grader can understand.

Not from school but recommend for use. Make your written answer all one long sentence, so when they misquote you they have to use ellipses.
 
Both parties have candidate school. (1) never give an answer that’s more than two minutes. (2) Always repeat your answer. (3) make your answer so a 5 grader can understand.

Not from school but recommend for use. Make your written answer all one long sentence, so when they misquote you they have to use ellipses.
Biden covers 2 of these, 1) he is incapable of talking for more than2 minutes 2) he always repeats its MAGA Republicans fault but not many 5th graders can decipher most of his mumbling.
 

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