Update no.1052

 Update from the Sunland

No.1052

7.3.22 – 13.3.22

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            To all,

 

I owe each and every weekly Update from the Sunland subscriber a humble and sincere apology. I am embarrassed and deeply contrite for my unforgiveable faux pas in the distribution of last week’s Update [1051]. It is my responsibility to ensure anonymity for all contributors and subscribers to the Update. I failed to fulfill that duty last week. Unlike our former president, I recognize when I am wrong, and I am man enough to apologize for my mistakes. I shall strive to avoid this mistake again.

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- Putin’s War [1050] along with his continuing and escalating abuse of Ukraine grinds on. The slow advance of the Russian Army has apparently stimulated the dictator Putin to order a total destruction effort. If the Ukrainians will not bend to his will, well then, he will reduce the country to rubble just as he did in the war on Chechnya [2009].  The misinformation campaign carried out by Putin and fBICP members persists unabated (see below). They offer simple, selected facts interpreting those facts incorrectly and leaving out some essential elements. The salient question remains, why have Ukraine and Georgia sought NATO membership rather than Russian protection? Russia under Putin has sought to dominate its neighbors, in essence to re-impose Soviet dominion. James Baker was not wrong; at the time of the Soviet collapse [1991], NATO had no intentions to expand NATO any farther; there was no reason to do so--the Soviet Union rapidly dissolved. What Baker had not considered was Russia's turn back to aggressiveness toward its neighbors. That reality is also what Putin refuses to acknowledge. Putin has caused this situation by his conduct--NOT the West. He experienced the dissolution of the Soviet Union while serving in the NKGB. He felt exactly like Hitler did after the Great War. Hitler sought reconstitution of Germany; Putin seeks reconstitution of the Soviet Union—Putin, not the Russian people. Stopping the carnage in Ukraine is no longer enough. Returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders is no longer enough. Removing Putin from any position of authority is no longer enough. The Russian people must return the country to a peaceful, law-abiding, cooperative, neighborly statehood.

The Russian people (at least the ones I was blessed to know on more than a casual basis) are far more like us than most Americans realize. The Russian people are good, generous, caring, and perceptive folks. They do not deserve Putin or what he is doing to the country. At the same time, I must criticize most of the Western governments for their handling of the collapse of the USSR in the early 90s. Our indifference was much like the Versailles Treaty; we created the conditions that Putin exploited to gain power. Now, we have what we have, and we must deal with it. We must not forget that many of Putin's enablers are members of the Duma. Yes, the oligarchs may bring him down, but revolution might deal with both Putin & his oligarchs. 

-- I have tried to avoid referring to Tucker Carlson [277] for a host of reasons, not least of which he is so often off the page. Recently, he went too far even for my threshold of intolerance. As with so many of his opinions supporting our recent deposed, wannabe dictator, Carlson implied that Zelensky has been and is a simple puppet of the U.S., like Yanukovych was for Russia before the Revolution of Dignity (or Maidan Revolution) [February 2014]. He ignores the free will of the Ukrainian people just as the dictator Putin does. Carlson is flat wrong just as Putin is.

-- U.S. Representative David Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina has been a consistent fBICP mouthpiece and advocate. He was one of the yayhoos on stage [991] as the fBICP and their disgraced leader instigated their blindly loyal minions to do their wet work for them while they hid in their bunkers. This week, Cawthorn joined the ranks of Greene and Gosar in outrageousness.

“GOP Rep. Cawthorn calls Zelensky a 'thug,' says Ukraine is pushing 'woke ideologies'”

by Christopher Wilson, Senior Writer

Yahoo! News

Published: Thu, March 10, 2022, 11:51 AM

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-rep-cawthorn-calls-zelensky-a-thug-says-ukraine-pushing-woke-ideologies-185128786.html

I do not and cannot recall any time in the history of this once grand republic when we have had so many wingnuts like Cawthorn in Congress, or any other deliberative body for that matter. If Cawthorn loves Putin that much, why doesn’t he just move to Russia where he will be far more welcome and accepted? Like his hero and messiah, Cawthorn apparently reveres autocracy and dictatorial power; so, let him have it.

-- In the continued wrangling over election law [981 & sub], the Supremes issued another interim ruling; this one was a 6-3 rejection of an emergency stay application in North Carolina—Moore v. Harper [595 U. S. ____ (2022); 21A455]. The ruling throws more uncertainty into the 2022 election. The short judgment on the emergency stay application illuminates one primary question in U.S. constitutional law. The Constitution was drafted and ratified to delineate the authority invested in the federal government by We, the People. The 10^th Amendment explicitly states that authority not vested in the federal government by the Constitution remains with the States, or the People. The Bill of Rights (Amendments I through X) has long been interpreted as federal protections for the rights of the People. The strict constructionists see themselves as solely federalists whose only purpose is to protect the authority of the federal government—People, smeeple, they can protect themselves. To the strict constructionists, the Constitution has absolutely nothing to do with the rights of the People other than as specifically delineated and only about federal authority. In essence, election law is between the people and the states; the federal government has very little authority in the conduct of elections. The tyranny of a majority or even a willful minority is acceptable; the federal government has no authority.

-- With the hot phase of Putin’s War [1050] well underway, Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin (and former deputy prime minister of Russia) was not satisfied with threatening to sabotage the International Space Station (ISS) [1050]. This week, Rogozin sought to double down.

“Russia threatens to abandon US astronaut in space”

Published: Thu, March 10, 2022, 10:40 AM

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/russia-threatens-abandon-us-astronaut-174049787.html

In case it is not bloody painfully obvious, Rogozin is a dedicated and loyal Putin-ite. In essence, he is saying if you don’t like what we are doing in Ukraine, we are going to take our ball and bat and go home. This is what international blackmail looks like. I say, if NASA cannot figure out how to take control of the ISS propulsion system, then let us leave Vande Hei in the ISS, lock out the Russians, and maintain the ISS with our allies with the total exclusion of the Russians. And if we cannot accomplish that, then let us de-orbit the ISS on our terms.

 

Yea verily! I think Lindsey Graham was spot on, it is past time for responsible Russians to "take out" the mad man. The Russian people do not deserve this, but we have no choice, and the worst is yet to come. Desperate times lead desperate people to dodesperate things. As Oliver Cromwell so eloquently said, "Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!” If Putin survives this, I hope we collectively will put him on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. But, we must stop Putin’s War first.

 

Since there is not much else to discuss this week, I offer a few more thoughts on Putin’s War.

How far will Putin go in his desperation is the great unknown, but we should prepare for the worst, which brings me back to general mobilization. I would rather risk being accused of overreacting than to be caught with our pants down when Putin crosses the border into one or all of the Baltic countries.

I suspect a closing window for action drove Putin to move on what he had planned and intended to execute for a long time. Xi may be emboldened by Putin's War, and the perceived weakness of the Western Allies. On the plus side, we do not see the requisite signs in the PRC as we did in Russia. We need to keep a very close eye on things in the region.

 

The U.S. House of Representatives voted in a heavily bipartisan manner to pass H.R.6968 - Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act [House: 414-17-0-2(2)] and sent the bill to the Senate. Congress is halfway toward taking more aggressive steps toward punishing Russia for its unprovoked aggression on neighboring Ukraine than the president has done so far. Yet, even with that, I still believe the Allies have not gone far enough, fast enough, to punish Putin and his enabling cronies. What they are doing in Ukraine is wrong in every possible way and must not be tolerated at any level. Russia must be totally isolated and ostracized for its aggression.  Russia must be treated as a pariah state Putin has chosen for them to be. I also advocate for Russia to be permanently removed from the UN Security Council. Putin has forfeited Russia’s veto authority.

“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”

Please note, the usual fBICP suspects were among those who voted against H.R.6968 – Greene, Gosar, Cawthorn, Boebert, Biggs, and Gaetz. Surprisingly, two Democrats voted against the sanction bill – Bush of Missouri and Omar of Minnesota.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.1051:

“Yes liked all your comments, very appropriate. Trust you sent a copy to the Kremlin.

“Over here we are very much involved in trying to support the refugees pouring across Europe. Our small village including our British Legion are in a determined way collecting and shipping whatever we can across the channel. Putin must have deranged mental condition-let’s trust the Russian people will eventually remove him from power one way or another.

“Currently I’m wearing my elderly RAF cold weather jumper that could be packed and sent too.

“OK Bud-few signs of spring here, the general mood of people is one of disbelieve and horror at Putin’s appalling actions. We still have friends who survived the Blitz in London they are utterly in shock with unwanted memories flooding back. He must be stopped.”

My reply:

LOL. I have not specifically sent the Update to the Kremlin, but the Blog is openly available for anyone to read worldwide—the beauty of the Internet & World Wide Web.

Bless you all for what you can do to support Ukraine. I watched a news segment of a Danish couple who drove all the way to the Poland-Ukraine border and offered eight refugees an unbound refuge of their home; incredible generosity.

The Russian people are good, decent folks who want the same things we do—peace, prosperity, and a better life for their children than they lived. The Russians I know are compassionate, caring, giving and extraordinarily generous—quite the contrast with their government, especially the current one. The Russian people carried out a revolution against oppression once; they can do it again.

The English still bear the scars of The Blitz. Your ancestors did not seek war with Germany, but Hitler’s Nazi Germany brought war to them. You share many similarities to what Ukraine is enduring now. Their spirit and desire for freedom are most impressive. May God give them the strength and courage to endure as the British did in 1940/41.

 

Comment to the Blog:

“The war in Ukraine has a simpler explanation than history. There are minerals under Ukraine (500,000 tons of lithium oxide, among others) that are used in making modern batteries. In addition, Black Sea ports beckon. Whether Putin tells himself all this tripe about history is not relevant. Follow the money.

“In a traditional military context, Ukraine has no chance of defending herself. The heroism of her citizens wouldn’t do this much to deter Russia. I see indications that a cyber-warfare unit is in action, but I wouldn’t expect public announcements of that.

“Let’s note that Halliburton has not changed its operations in Russia. Your mention of Liz Cheney reminded me that Halliburton is her father’s company.

“Bankers having loyalty to money over the country is no surprise.”

My response to the Blog:

I can offer no argument. “Follow the money” is always wise counsel. However, one question bothers me about the money hypothesis. If the motivation for Putin and his war was simply money and the mineral wealth of Ukraine, it is coming at a very high cost. The cost may soon exceed any possible benefit. Yet, at the end of the day, what Putin is doing remains wrong and criminal conduct—state robbery for whatever reason.

You may well be correct. I do not know. However, I suspect Putin grossly underestimated the resistance the army would face. Yes, the Ukrainian Army is no match for the Russian Army, and we watch that demonstration every day. Yet, the Ukrainians continue to fight for the preservation of their sovereignty and freedom. Putin’s War is also graphically displaying the weakness of Russia. Like the ill-advised U.S. War in Iraq, Putin has insufficient forces to occupy Ukraine, and he is seeking mercenaries to supplement the army in just the initial assault.

I’m not sure the point of your Halliburton comment. Every corporation must make its own choices.

Nope. You are quite correct. The involvement of international banks in the support of Nazi Germany was not generally illuminated in history books and was frankly rather shocking to me when I learned the extent of that involvement. According to Jamie Dimon, it is no different today.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“I focus less on individual personalities than I once did. Others’ motives are unknowable and often unconscious. Besides, without the support of others, Hitler was a failing artist, not a dictator. Studying the patterns of groups of decision-makers helps me understand history more. Also, it’s important to discount most public statements. They may be empty marketing.

“So the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan with its minerals and strategic location; they lost that war. Now Putin’s Russia has invaded Ukraine with its battery-related minerals and better ports. I’m seeing a pattern. Military leaders and the wealthy would not support Putin’s ego satisfaction as the only goal.

“Part of the Russians’ problem apparently comes from the US spy services openly providing information to Ukraine, and a cyberwarfare unit might be deployed as well. Also, reports leak out that commanders lied to the troops about the nature of the invasion, which harms morale.”

 . . . along with my follow-up comment:

Understood and accepted. The PBS documentary “The Dictator’s Playbook” offered a good summary view of common traits among all dictators. Putin fits the model precisely, and not surprisingly, [the person who shall no longer be named] never made it to full status, but he was a lot farther long to achieving the status (of sorts) than I care to ever experience again. We must never forget how close we came, and we are not done with him yet. “Empty marketing” . . . i.e., propaganda.

Undoubtedly! The follow the money stipulation remains valid. But, the money is always driven by the cost-benefit calculation. Money men never like to lose money. It appears at present the cost is significantly higher than benefit; the oligarchs many end this for Putin.

I’m a little confused about your spy services comment. Any organization would not be pleased when their adversaries receive valuable support that can and will be used against them. The Western Allies are providing a lot of useful information and materiale. The Russian Army has a lot of problems beyond combat. On the plus side, the protective façade on Putin’s mystique has been removed; the curtain has been pulled back on the Great Oz.

 

Another contribution:

“Since the pace of deterioration in our world is stepped-up, primarily due to U$A's sanctioning of Russia and our own inviting a breakdown of world order, and crashing the economic middle-class, in the name of Ukraine: I am not in for a hot war with Russia over Ukraine. I doubt Putin would be ambitious and stupid enough to advance west of the Ukraine, effectively a buffer zone for Russia, against the expansion of NATO. This is not worth World War 3. Second, I would think most middle class Americans deserve nor desire $10/gallon gas so we can protect Ukraine, and teach Putin a lesson. I doubt Germans or Romanians would want to make such an economic sacrifice for us. We have been trying to crush Putin, even prior to his decision to invade Ukraine. What happened to our moral clarity when we invaded Afghanistan & Iraq, in wars that failed to meet the Just Cause standards? I believe you are falling for Western propaganda...typical psyops that precedes all wars. The agenda on our part truly is more selfish for the elitists in Washington, than to be altruistic towards Ukrainians. Where were our worries for Syrians, Yemenis or Ethiopians in their wars? Watch our markets tank, and more inflation, and $10/gallon gas. It is not worth it to try to strangle Russia and punish their commoners (sanctions, shut offs to outside world), and due to, punish Americans. I personally believe much of our own intelligence community and those from state department, are corrupt and slightly nuts. None of this is worth going WW3. Have you considered NATO is obsolete??? Wait, we must support NATO cuz it helps Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and the many politicians who must benefit in nefarious ways due to the arrangement of F-35 sales to a NATO client. Maybe Raytheon should help build USA infrastructure and figure out solutions for all the homeless and working poor here. No wait, the Ukrainians are more valuable today. Being a "warrior" does not necessarily mean starting WW3 or destroying capital markets just to teach a perceived bully-on-block a lesson.”

My reply:

Thank you for your contribution.

I have read your words several times so far.

I am left with the overall impression in your words that Ukraine’s sovereignty, freedom of choice, and peace are expendable like Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. [How did that work out?] If Putin is correct, Ukraine was always a state of Russia and never really an independent state. If true, where do we draw the line? Injustice for one is injustice for all.

I am adamantly against WW3. I do not want war. I do not advocate for war. The West did not start this war; Putin did, period, full stop. And yet, if we are afraid of war as Chamberlain was in 1938, then a dictator will see that as weakness. From my perspective, President Biden’s greatest mistake in dealing with Putin’s War is and has been so far, his tiptoeing in deference to Putin’s paranoia. Biden should have never taken anything off the table. While Ukraine’s sovereignty is part of this question, it is Putin’s unprovoked aggression that did this. President Biden inherited the acquiescence of the USG toward Russia—Bush (Georgia), Obama (Crimea & Donbass), the ass-kissing of [the person who shall no longer be named]. But, it is Biden’s burden now. I say call Putin’s damn bluff. We must stand up to the mark. What is the difference between a Polish MiG-29 and an American Javelin anti-tank missile?

Let us not forget, Ukraine seeks the protection of the West, and what we witness in Ukraine is Exhibit no.1. Is NATO obsolete? See Exhibit no.1. We have not, and to my knowledge, never have sought Ukrainian membership in NATO. Ukraine has persistently sought EU and NATO membership; they identify with Western values rather than Russian values. They seek freedom, not domination, oppression and subjugation. Perhaps you missed my questions in Update no.1051?

 . . . an additional comment from a different contributor:

“I'm sorry to say at this long drawn out point in time.... of my life, that I have had to face a cold, hard fact:  

“Too many, perhaps most in the US (except for more recent migrants and the well travelled) and in the richer parts of Europe, are so terminally brainwashed. They are perfectly content with their thoroughly brainwashed minds and their masters and their nationwide propaganda apparatus who lead them to rubbish their lives with lies ---yes, they are a lost cause. As we have discussed on several occasions, this is certainly not unusual for all declining empires or great powers. As Herodotus so presciently declared: ‘prolonged adolescence’ is the rot of all failing great nations.”

 . . . and my reply:

Having seen earlier contributions, I think I understand the implied target in the comment. Yet, since it is offered in non-specific direction, I must say I agree; that is exactly how I see a significant portion of our citizenry. Unfortunately, my perspective may not be the same as this non-specific, implied object.

 

And one more offering from yet another contributor:

“You spend too much time discounting Putin's reasons for the war as he announced in his speeches. None of what he said was meant to be logical or supportable. It was total propaganda aimed at those in his populace who might conceivably believe it. His words were not directed at us and were not believed by Putin himself. He has a personal egotistical dream of restoring the classic Russian nation and his propaganda and military actions is solely focused on that. His collegiate education was a ‘law’ degree in soviet Russian which basically consisted of a Soviet civics lesson. His real education was as a KGB operative in Germany. Putin speaks fluent German and is quite knowledgeable about German history, especially 20^th Century Germany. His preparation for the invasion of Ukraine was a play-by-play re-do of Hitler's provocations and invasion of Poland to start WWII. Putin was gambling that the West would not respond as Britain and France did to Hitler. He gambled that the West and especially Biden were weak and scared. He did not count on the unity the West showed and he is currently shocked at the incompetence of the vaunted Russian Army.

“Thus, pointing out Putin's logical flaws is a fun but useless pastime. He knows there are no neo-nazis around Zelensky and he knows we know. I think the historical judgment about Putin will revolve around the fact that the Ukrainians now have five western anti-tank weapons for every Russian tank. A post-war documentary of this conflict is going to have a lot of boring photography of burned-out Russian tanks and personnel carriers. Also, that vaunted 40-mile-long Russian column is mostly cargo trucks that are particularly allergic to LAWS and Javelins.”

My response:

Thank you for your contribution.

“Discounting” is not a word choice I can agree with. I only call out the fallaciousness of those statements. We must fight his propaganda. Case in point, we have seen the consequences in this country of unchallenged propaganda, e.g., QAnon, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, [the person who shall no longer be named], et al ad infinitum ad nauseum.

I certainly agree with your assessment of Putin’s mindset.

Yes, absolutely, supply trucks are no match for Javelins. Unfortunately, we are not seeing enough devastated trucks on the road to Kyiv. A MiG-29 strafing run on that convoy would be far more effective.

 

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)