Listen to a reading of this article: ❖ So Putin has finally made a move, issuing a decree formally recognizing the sovereignty of the separatist-held Donbas territories in eastern Ukraine known as the DPR and LPR. Russian troops are being deployed to the region in what Putin describes as a "peacekeeping" mission amid a dramatic spike in ceasefire violations.
You know what's weird? In the early to mid-1990s, when Yugoslavia split into newly independent republics, those republics received international recognition within a matter of months. But in Ukraine, when the Donetsk and Lugansk provinces declared their independence in 2014, no recognition was granted by any nation until just now. Russia waited patiently for 8 years for a diplomatic solution that would have kept the LDNRs within Ukraine. But foot-dragging and outright obstructionism by the Ukraine central government at the behest of the United States was more than enough time for that patience to wear out. So Russia took matters into its own hands and decided the matter. The US/NATO will cry like babies, but they have just received another body blow only a few months after having been knocked out in Afghanistan. There can be no doubt that the Empire is on the ropes.
each and every one of us has the moral obligation to refuse to participate in and contribute to the crimes against humanity perpetuated in our name, on our dime, and by our own brothers, sisters, fathers, sons, friends, and colleagues. no one is free from the responsibility to do everything we can to stop the crime and pay for the crimes.
the criminals and profiteers have already called us "treasonous traitors" for not fighting their wars, for boycotting their evil system. the choice is clear as day.
There's no need to engage in whataboutism. The US and its lapdogs have been supporting the Nazi Ukraine in stalling the Minsk agreements. That was going nowhere for too long.
In truth, the Ukraine in liaison with US neoliberal investors have enabled the rise and support of neo-nazi fascist groups in the Ukraine. Not only this but these fascist groups dominate the seat of power in the Ukraine now and the US investors are good with this. Moreover, these obtuse fascist groups have been stirring sh** unnecessarily with the Donbas people which in turn has given Russia cause to break that sh** up. Russia is not out of line in doing what it is doing. If I had to choose between a fascist Ukraine and the protection of the Donbas people, I'd pick the Donbas people. In essence, Russia is protecting a people from being bullied by neo-nazis. The problem comes from US investors supporting these neo-nazis and in the name of profit (i.e. Walmarts and McDonalds in the Ukraine).
The comments here keep missing the point about the events in Ukraine.
Ukraine is being used to launder money for the benefit of the American Oligarchy -- Period!
Until one recognizes that fact, you may as well be arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
I'm not saying that the posts here are "wrong", they aren't. They just miss the "big picture".
For instance, arguing about which country is doing the invading, well, we really don't know do we because it is such a convoluted mess. But we do know the American Oligarchy is making money through all the weapons shipped to Ukraine.
Nordstream 2: yes the sanctions hurt Russia, maybe since it has been argued that China will buy Russian gas and the price of gas is skyrocketing. However, it is Germany that will have to pay 4x what it was paying to import LNG from the USA -- benefiting the American Oligarchy.
Are the Ukrainians Nazis? Some are, and those were the ones Victoria Nuland supported after Maidan. Why? Because they were bribing the American Oligarchy. Both Trump -AND- Biden.
It is the American Oligarchy that is causing this rift.
Just a month ago, Canada and the US bullied (or bribed with a $140,000,000 loan?) Ukraine into dropping prosecution against their pal Poroshenko. Ukrainian sovereignty?
The US has all the moral authority of a defrocked pedophile priest caught in the act and promising he'll never molest an altar boy ever again. Or a pedophile hair-sniffing misogynistic racist senile douchebag of a president. Take your pick. Either way, if the US was so concerned about Ukraine and its breakaway republics we would have been working diplomatically behind the scenes for the past 8 years to prevent any violence in the region, wouldn't we?
Perfect description as to our nonstop interference in every corrupt way possible over and over again. We seriously have a corrupt government that has gone rogue and the sad issue is that the normal American citizens are to blind to our government incompetence.
I disagree with the "perhaps" part. Shut the fuck up about "sovereignty" and especially about "human rights" and "freedom of speech" and "the rule of law" and "democracy." Just shut the fuck up, period.
Canada has brought to light how powerful sanctions and freezing bank accounts are in dealing with dissidents (nice recent article by Glenn Greenwald as well).
Putin refused to recognize the breakaway provinces in 2014 after the Americans overthrew democratically elected Yanukovych (taking only Crimea for national security reasons after a plebescite), because the Minsk Accords appeared a diplomatic solution. When Ukraine continued to stockpile American weapons, and with US backing refused to honor the Minsk agreements, Russia was looking at a steadily increasing Ukrainian (American) weapons build up on its border, and eventually genocide crimes against Russian Ukrainians. This is perfect for megalomaniac Joe Biden, who gets a proxy war as in the 1980s in Afghanistan, which can be fought to "the last Unrainian NAZI". If the Russians slaughter the Ukrainians, they look bad (PR victory). If the Ukrainians wage even a draw, Russia looks bad (PR victory).
The only way the US loses is if Putin starts lobbing nuclear weapons, then everyone loses.
For one brief period in my youth I sold cars. It lasted but four months. What ultimately led me to the door was that I was unable to look people in the eye and lie to them. That is what the job required.
I recalled this minor adventure while reading today's article, realizing where I was unable to lie to sell Toyotas there are any number of seemingly grown ass people who have absolutely no problem selling starvation and death.
As the Wicked Witch of West famously lamented, "What a world! What a world!"
You know what's weird? In the early to mid-1990s, when Yugoslavia split into newly independent republics, those republics received international recognition within a matter of months. But in Ukraine, when the Donetsk and Lugansk provinces declared their independence in 2014, no recognition was granted by any nation until just now. Russia waited patiently for 8 years for a diplomatic solution that would have kept the LDNRs within Ukraine. But foot-dragging and outright obstructionism by the Ukraine central government at the behest of the United States was more than enough time for that patience to wear out. So Russia took matters into its own hands and decided the matter. The US/NATO will cry like babies, but they have just received another body blow only a few months after having been knocked out in Afghanistan. There can be no doubt that the Empire is on the ropes.
each and every one of us has the moral obligation to refuse to participate in and contribute to the crimes against humanity perpetuated in our name, on our dime, and by our own brothers, sisters, fathers, sons, friends, and colleagues. no one is free from the responsibility to do everything we can to stop the crime and pay for the crimes.
the criminals and profiteers have already called us "treasonous traitors" for not fighting their wars, for boycotting their evil system. the choice is clear as day.
There's no need to engage in whataboutism. The US and its lapdogs have been supporting the Nazi Ukraine in stalling the Minsk agreements. That was going nowhere for too long.
In truth, the Ukraine in liaison with US neoliberal investors have enabled the rise and support of neo-nazi fascist groups in the Ukraine. Not only this but these fascist groups dominate the seat of power in the Ukraine now and the US investors are good with this. Moreover, these obtuse fascist groups have been stirring sh** unnecessarily with the Donbas people which in turn has given Russia cause to break that sh** up. Russia is not out of line in doing what it is doing. If I had to choose between a fascist Ukraine and the protection of the Donbas people, I'd pick the Donbas people. In essence, Russia is protecting a people from being bullied by neo-nazis. The problem comes from US investors supporting these neo-nazis and in the name of profit (i.e. Walmarts and McDonalds in the Ukraine).
The comments here keep missing the point about the events in Ukraine.
Ukraine is being used to launder money for the benefit of the American Oligarchy -- Period!
Until one recognizes that fact, you may as well be arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
I'm not saying that the posts here are "wrong", they aren't. They just miss the "big picture".
For instance, arguing about which country is doing the invading, well, we really don't know do we because it is such a convoluted mess. But we do know the American Oligarchy is making money through all the weapons shipped to Ukraine.
Nordstream 2: yes the sanctions hurt Russia, maybe since it has been argued that China will buy Russian gas and the price of gas is skyrocketing. However, it is Germany that will have to pay 4x what it was paying to import LNG from the USA -- benefiting the American Oligarchy.
Are the Ukrainians Nazis? Some are, and those were the ones Victoria Nuland supported after Maidan. Why? Because they were bribing the American Oligarchy. Both Trump -AND- Biden.
It is the American Oligarchy that is causing this rift.
Just a month ago, Canada and the US bullied (or bribed with a $140,000,000 loan?) Ukraine into dropping prosecution against their pal Poroshenko. Ukrainian sovereignty?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-credited-for-preventing-arrest-of-former-ukrainian-president/
The US has all the moral authority of a defrocked pedophile priest caught in the act and promising he'll never molest an altar boy ever again. Or a pedophile hair-sniffing misogynistic racist senile douchebag of a president. Take your pick. Either way, if the US was so concerned about Ukraine and its breakaway republics we would have been working diplomatically behind the scenes for the past 8 years to prevent any violence in the region, wouldn't we?
Perfect description as to our nonstop interference in every corrupt way possible over and over again. We seriously have a corrupt government that has gone rogue and the sad issue is that the normal American citizens are to blind to our government incompetence.
I disagree with the "perhaps" part. Shut the fuck up about "sovereignty" and especially about "human rights" and "freedom of speech" and "the rule of law" and "democracy." Just shut the fuck up, period.
I'm so glad the US was instrumental in creating the UN after WWII so that international disputes would never again result in war.
Thanks once again for your spot-on analysis, Caitlin.
Canada has brought to light how powerful sanctions and freezing bank accounts are in dealing with dissidents (nice recent article by Glenn Greenwald as well).
Putin refused to recognize the breakaway provinces in 2014 after the Americans overthrew democratically elected Yanukovych (taking only Crimea for national security reasons after a plebescite), because the Minsk Accords appeared a diplomatic solution. When Ukraine continued to stockpile American weapons, and with US backing refused to honor the Minsk agreements, Russia was looking at a steadily increasing Ukrainian (American) weapons build up on its border, and eventually genocide crimes against Russian Ukrainians. This is perfect for megalomaniac Joe Biden, who gets a proxy war as in the 1980s in Afghanistan, which can be fought to "the last Unrainian NAZI". If the Russians slaughter the Ukrainians, they look bad (PR victory). If the Ukrainians wage even a draw, Russia looks bad (PR victory).
The only way the US loses is if Putin starts lobbing nuclear weapons, then everyone loses.
For readers: These outstanding Caitlin's audios can also be found:
Perhaps The US Should Shut The Fuck Up About Respecting Other Countries' Sovereignty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npmHA3ZHUGI
PS: The narrator is the best I have found in ALL podcasts so far !!
For one brief period in my youth I sold cars. It lasted but four months. What ultimately led me to the door was that I was unable to look people in the eye and lie to them. That is what the job required.
I recalled this minor adventure while reading today's article, realizing where I was unable to lie to sell Toyotas there are any number of seemingly grown ass people who have absolutely no problem selling starvation and death.
As the Wicked Witch of West famously lamented, "What a world! What a world!"
Putin's speech in English here: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIOHKUG0v__A%26fbclid%3DIwAR2atYefitj9hHynahAVRSexruldwOhhwz_epAsladCm1zxlgCj6z6pU_1A&h=AT3x2zTdyMVcVjV1OjE4boZN8IscGcQaCJt097lKWZ-J0cDLQnlLg-e9hlC9IADKUszEpFngRwmKHrRFp4vKDYBfF-vjicmNTDp-VGH7B7VQ8kSKgpacb3ieurhDcKEBkribt6vzZjLcgUb2PMZJ&__tn__=%2CmH-R&c[0]=AT2lvS__1kWadiIhGcrjZc_tcpuUEJ2RYvh_SQsQPC6uv9Bz_vdfDz304BZXSFV8TN-i_TvogHM5Lapx4I-UeAaoqThBJbuGXYDlHEEZf58-nTPiVL98E_5cIPsncZYehkrZkoooQQXmSJp9d3FBePj2hQ. (Too bad you can't use hyperlinks here in the comments.) I listened to it and heard nothing I would disagree with.
Really?
You’re smart enough to see through almost all the bullshit but not the Russian “All Ukrainians who are against us are Nazis” narrative?